Women are wasting their time and money buying homemade menopause test kits, doctors warn.
Urine tests are not predictive enough to tell if a woman is going through the phase when her cycle will stop, doctors told the BBC.
The manufacturers told the TV operator that the kits should never replace medical advice. Several companies sell UK-approved menopause tests online and in stores, which can be purchased without a prescription for around £ 10 for a pack of two.
Tests that give results within minutes accurately measure follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, which help control the menstrual cycle. But experts say it is not a reliable marker for menopause or perimenopause.
Dr Anis Mukherjee, a leading menopause and hormone doctor at the Society for Endocrinology, told the BBC that FSH urine tests were “another example of the exploitation of middle-aged middle-aged women in the commercial menopausal industry who have financial conflicts of interest”. “.
She accused companies of using misleading information about “FSH is sometimes a useful marker for menopause” and called perimenopause a “hormonal train”.
“It’s not good for women to have access [FSH] directly, “she said.” This is not a reliable marker for perimenopause and can cause more confusion among women who take the test. In the worst case, misinterpretation of the results can cause harm. “
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG), along with other leading women’s health experts, said the tests could be useless and potentially misleading.
A spokesman for RCOG, gynecologist-consultant Haytam Hamoda of King’s College Hospital, who chairs the British Menopause Society, said: “RCOG does not recommend over-the-counter menopause tests as they are not a good method to detect menopause or perimenopause.
The NHS guidelines also discourage FSH testing for people over the age of 45 with classic menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, as it adds nothing diagnostic.
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Menopause test maker SelfCheck says that while menopause cannot be determined by a simple test, hormonal imbalance is the most important indicator. And consistently high levels of FSH can indicate “ovaries not working” and “egg production is not happening.”
“These kits make you feel responsible for your health, knowing FSH levels and seeking medical help to fight each one successfully,” it said.
The company’s director, Dr John Reese, told BBC News: “Whatever the outcome, users of self-tests, including the SelfCheck Menopause test, are instructed to talk to their doctor before taking any action on the outcome.
“The instructions provided with the tests are reviewed and agreed with the regulators before approval for use.
“Self-test kits are not designed to replace traditional health pathways, but they can get people to talk to their doctor about their health problems, whether they have a positive or negative result.
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