Dr Heather Currie and Kathy Abernethy, BMS Trustees, and Emily Josif, BMS Communications Manager, were invited to attend the Menopause Society of Ireland (MSI) Conference on 12 September 2026. The event was dedicated this year to a single, clear theme: debunking menopause myths that continue to affect menopause care and post reproductive health.
Misinformation remains one of the most persistent challenges facing clinicians and patients alike. Across a full programme of sessions, specialists returned repeatedly to the same underlying message: care improves when it is evidence-based, well communicated, and delivered with genuine attention to the individual in front of you.
Evidence over hype
A dedicated panel session, “The Board Busts the Menopause Myths”, addressed some of the most common misconceptions circulating in clinical practice and on social media, including claims around HRT and breast cancer, testosterone replacement, and HRT and dementia. Panellists were clear that testosterone decline is primarily age-related rather than menopause-related, and that low levels alone do not indicate a need for replacement. On dementia, specialists noted that much of the available evidence relates to cognition rather than dementia itself, and that findings from major observational studies, including Danish and UK Biobank data, point in different directions. The consistent advice was to treat menopause symptoms rather than prescribe HRT with the aim of dementia prevention.
Delegates also heard about a 2026 BMJ study by Mikkelsen et al, which found no evidence that HRT increases mortality. This was discussed alongside the removal, in November 2025, of the US FDA’s black box warnings on HRT relating to cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and dementia. This was following review of evidence indicating the warnings had overstated risk relative to more recent, Women’s Health Initiative research. Specialists were careful to stress that this does not mean risks are absent, but that the benefit-risk ratio is more favourable than earlier warnings suggested — with vaginal estrogen highlighted as a particular area where treatment is often underused due to unfounded concern.
Cardiovascular health across the life course
Professor Angela Maas addressed cardiovascular risk in women at midlife, highlighting that cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in women from midlife onwards. She described how risk factors specific to women (including hypertensive pregnancy, endometriosis, migraine and menopause itself) are frequently under-recognised, and cautioned that standard threshold values and testing approaches, such as exercise testing alone, may not adequately capture cardiovascular risk in women. Coronary artery calcium scoring was discussed as a valuable tool for individual risk assessment, where available, particularly where there is diagnostic uncertainty.
Sleep, vulval health and complex gynaecological conditions
Dr Zoe Schaedel explored the relationship between sleep and midlife health, explaining that falling estrogen and rising FSH are associated with shorter sleep duration, and that vasomotor symptoms can disrupt the temperature regulation needed for sleep continuity. She noted that obstructive sleep apnoea symptoms can closely resemble menopause symptoms, and that a substantial proportion of women with sleep apnoea remain undiagnosed.
Miss Elaine Palmer’s session on vulval health challenged delegates to consider whether vulval symptoms are always attributable to genitourinary syndrome of menopause, concluding that they are not. She emphasised the importance of in-person examination and a focused vulval history, noting that video consultations are not an adequate substitute.
Dr Aoife McSweeney discussed endometriosis and fibroids in the context of menopause, underlining that patient buy-in and clear, thorough explanation are essential to treatment choice. Where patients do not receive full explanation from their healthcare professional, she noted, they are more likely to seek answers elsewhere, including on social media.
Menopause after cancer
A significant portion of the programme addressed menopause after cancer treatment. Professor Donal Brennan and Ms Kate O’Connell both described a familiar pattern: women who say nobody told them what to expect, and who find themselves asking their oncologist menopause-related questions their oncologist was never trained to answer. Health systems can be complex for patients to navigate, clear pathways between oncology and menopause specialist care are essential.
Both speakers made the point that a single, focused menopause consultation after cancer treatment can meaningfully improve symptoms — a reminder, Professor Brennan noted, that the placebo effect observed across many menopause trials should not be underestimated, and that the consultation itself, not only the treatment prescribed, has real therapeutic value.
Across these sessions, a consistent theme emerged: healthcare professionals need to see these patients, listen to them, and follow up, with the management of realistic expectations forming a key part of that care.
Conclusion
Several speakers returned to a theme that cut across the clinical content: the power of communication. Delegates were reminded not to underestimate the effect of being listened to, and the value of a straightforward, human approach in appointments.
Across all the topics, the same idea kept resurfacing: patient buy-in depends on clear explanation, and healthcare professionals need to see these patients, listen to them, and follow up.
The third annual MSI Conference, “Debunking Menopause Myths – Let’s Talk Evidence”, successfully combined evidence-based content with a clear focus on the practical realities of patient care.