How can media framing distort public understanding of hormone therapy evidence?

Media framing can significantly distort public understanding of hormone therapy (HT) evidence, especially when headlines or news stories oversimplify, sensationalize, or misinterpret scientific findings. Here at Alloy, we’ve seen firsthand how a single flawed or misrepresented study can shape decades of public perception and medical practice.

A key example is the 2002 Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study. Media coverage at the time focused on alarming headlines about hormone therapy and breast cancer risk, even though the actual data did not show a significant increased risk for most women. This led to widespread fear, a dramatic drop in hormone therapy prescriptions (from about 44% to less than 7%), and a generation of doctors and patients who remain wary of HT, despite later evidence and expert consensus showing it is safe and effective for most women under 60 or within 10 years of menopause.

Several factors contribute to this distortion:

• Headlines often highlight worst-case scenarios or single findings, ignoring context or later corrections.
• Many healthcare providers and the public rely on these headlines rather than reading the full studies.
• Misinformation gets amplified and persists, even after original claims are walked back by researchers.
• Medical training and practice can lag behind updated evidence, perpetuating outdated fears.

For a deeper dive, we highly recommend:

• Watching Dr. Corinne Menn discuss how media misinterpretation of the WHI study shaped both public and medical attitudes in the chapter “Media Impact and Misinterpretation” from our YouTube video: Watch the relevant chapter here.
• Viewing Dr. Avrum Bluming and Dr. Corinne Menn’s conversation on how misinformation and fear spread after the WHI study in the chapter “Misinformation and the Women's Health Initiative”: Watch the relevant chapter here.
• Reading our blog post on the New York Times’ coverage and how it’s helping to correct the record: Women Have Been Misled About Menopause.

At Alloy, we’re committed to providing evidence-based, science-backed menopause solutions and helping you cut through the noise. If you’re interested in learning more about safe and effective menopause treatments, check out our Menopausal Hormone Therapy solutions.

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This answer was created using the following resources:

• Myths & Misconceptions Around Menopausal Hormone Therapy | Dr. Corinne Menn - Media Impact and Misinterpretation
• WATCH: Menopause, Breast Cancer, and the Journey Forward | Dr. Avrum Bluming & Dr. Corinne Menn - Misinformation and the Women's Health Initiative
• Your Menopause Questions Answered | Dr. Sharon Malone - Misinterpretation of the Women's Health Initiative
• Why Are There So Many Misconceptions About Hormone Therapy? | Dr. Corinne Menn & Dr. Avrum Bluming
• Dr. Mary Claire Haver w Alloy’s Anne Fulenwider on Living Your Healthiest Life Through Menopause - Hormone Therapy Stigma
• Anne Fulendwider Recaps Alloy on the Today Show
• Watch Alloy on The Today Show! - Hormone Therapy Controversy
• Must Read: The New York Times | Alloy
• Check Out Dr. Sharon Malone in the Washington Post!
• Menopause and Breast Cancer: Dr. Bluming's Guide