Physicians are preparing for an increase in demand for HRT because of the ‘Davina McCall Effect’
DOCTORS are preparing for an increase in demand for hormone replacement therapies because of the “Davina effect”.
A million Brits watched Davina McCall’s latest menopause documentary on Channel 4 on Monday and medics say the phone lines are already buzzing.
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GP Dr. Philippa Kaye revealed that a colleague took six calls from women asking about HRT on Tuesday morning alone.
Concerned Sun readers are also writing to us in growing numbers in response to our Fabulous Menopause Matters campaign.
Women fear scarcity of potentially life-changing therapy which relieves symptoms such as hot flashes, brain fog and a loss of sex drive.
dr Kaye, author of menopause book The M Word, said: “In the month after Davina’s first documentary, demand for HRT increased by 30 percent and I expect the same could happen again.
“There’s a well-known celebrity effect, and it happened with the cervical screening after Jade Goody passed away.
“In conversation with my colleagues at the end of our morning consultation on Tuesday, there was already an increase in demand of 10 to 25 percent. This is only one morning.
“My patients are very afraid of getting HRT.
“People are calling and asking if there’s anything they want us to share, or telling us they’ve been to 16 pharmacies and lost sleep because they’re so worried they’re running out of sleep.”
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It is estimated that over a million women in the UK are taking HRT and NHS figures show that prescriptions have doubled in five years from 238,000 in January 2017 to 538,000 in December 2021.
Ministers last week imposed a three-month prescription limit on some drugsincluding the popular oestrogel rub-in to ease supply bottlenecks expected well into the summer.
dr Paula Briggs of the British Menopause Society said: “This program will inevitably draw a little bit more attention to menopause and that’s a really positive thing.
“But we don’t want people who don’t have symptoms to be looking for HRT, especially in the current situation where we’re having trouble accessing some products.
“GPs are already overwhelmed.
“A surge in demand after the last program created supply issues, but awareness was much lower before and is higher now.
“Most companies check exactly how much is coming off the shelves and how much they need to ramp up production, but it’s really hard to know.”
Promotion for her new documentary Davina has blasted the idea that growing awareness is to blame for the lack.
She said, “This idea of blaming women — ‘Oh, more women are asking about that?’ – makes me mad.
“There was a gradual growth. You can easily plan the production for that.”
Fabulous menopause affairs
It is estimated that one in five of the UK population currently suffers from it.
Yet menopause is still whispered about in low tones, as if it were something to be ashamed of.
The stigma attached to transition means women have suffered in silence for centuries.
Determined to change that, The Sun is launching the Fabulous Menopause Matters campaign to give the taboo a long-awaited kick and give women the support they need.
The campaign has three goals:
- To make HRT free in England
- To get every workplace to have a menopause policy to provide support
- Breaking taboos around menopause
The campaign was endorsed by a variety of influential figures including Baroness Karren Brady CBE, celebrities Lisa Snowdon, Jane Moore, Michelle Heaton, Zoe Hardman, Saira Khan, Trisha Goddard and Dr. Louise Newson, Carolyn Harris MP, Jess Phillips MP, Caroline Nokes MP and Rachel Maclean MP.
An exclusive study commissioned by Fabulous, which surveyed 2,000 British women aged 45-65 who were or were going through the menopause, found that 49% of the women suffered from depression, while 7% had suicidal thoughts, while going through menopause.
50% of respondents said there isn’t enough support for women going through menopause, which just isn’t good enough. It’s time to change that.
https://www.thesun.ie/health/8742262/doctors-hrt-demand-davina-mccall/ Physicians are preparing for an increase in demand for HRT because of the ‘Davina McCall Effect’