Expensive over-the-counter hormone tests marketed for menopause are clinically unnecessary and may even harm women’s health, senior doctors have warned.
These private testing kits, which measure hormone levels through urine or blood samples, claim to provide personalized insights for managing menopause. However, medical experts say they are misleading and offer no reliable guidance for treatment.
“There’s a rise in private clinics and online platforms offering menopause tests, often promoted by untrained ‘experts’ on social media,” said Dr. Stephanie Sterry, co-author of a BMJ editorial titled Menopause Misinformation is Harming Care.
“These tests are not evidence-based and don’t improve treatment. Women are spending hundreds of pounds on results that don’t change how we should manage their symptoms,” she added.
The two main types of kits available in the UK are rapid urine tests, costing around £8, and laboratory-based blood tests, which range from £32 to £189. Some claim to deliver results in as little as two minutes or within a day or two.
National and international guidelines, including those from NICE, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the British Menopause Society, advise that menopause in women over 45 should be diagnosed based on symptoms alone. Hormone levels naturally fluctuate and do not reliably indicate menopause or guide treatment.
“These tests are often sold as a way to individualize hormone therapy,” Sterry explained. “In reality, they have limited clinical value, because hormone therapy is guided by symptoms, not numbers. These tests cannot predict who will benefit from treatment or the timing of menopause.”
Dr. Paula Briggs, chair of the British Menopause Society, expressed concern about unrealistic expectations created by private testing. “Women may be misled about what hormone replacement therapy can achieve, particularly for mood or mental health, leading to the rise of unregulated and costly treatments,” she said.
Specialists report that women increasingly arrive at consultations with self-obtained test results. Dr. Susanna Unsworth, a menopause and women’s health expert, said, “Most results can’t be interpreted meaningfully, which undermines trust and complicates care.”
While some private clinics argue that testing empowers women by providing data to discuss with doctors, Sterry countered: “There’s no evidence linking test results to symptom severity. When a woman has symptoms but ‘normal’ test results, it can delay diagnosis and treatment.”
Experts emphasize that menopause care should remain symptom-focused and guided by qualified healthcare professionals, rather than commercial testing kits.
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