Beyond HRT:
The Rise of Homeopathy in Menopause and the Evidence Behind It.
Menopause is universal, but the way women experience it is anything but.
Across the United Kingdom, more women are actively questioning how menopause is framed, treated and supported. Many are looking beyond hormone replacement therapy (HRT), not because HRT is inherently wrong or dangerous, but because it is not the right answer for everyone. Women want options that feel personalised, culturally relevant and aligned with their lived experience.
This shift has not happened in isolation. It sits within a wider UK menopause awakening shaped by investigative journalism, grassroots advocacy and cultural leadership. Voices such as Kate Muir, who has challenged misinformation and systemic gaps in menopause care and Nina Kuypers, founder of Black Women in Menopause, who centres cultural visibility and racial health equity, have fundamentally reshaped how menopause is understood.
Within this landscape, homeopathy and other non-hormonal approaches continue to attract interest. Their use raises an important question: what are women seeking that mainstream systems still struggle to provide?
Why Some Women Look Beyond HRT
Women who explore homeopathy or other non-hormonal approaches are rarely doing so lightly. Their decisions are shaped by a mix of medical, emotional, cultural and practical realities.
Some women cannot take HRT because of contraindications. Others have tried it and found it unsuitable. Many want care that goes beyond symptom suppression and acknowledges the psychological and identity shifts that accompany menopause.
As Kate Muir’s investigative work has repeatedly shown, women have long been under-informed, under-researched and inconsistently supported within menopause care. Her journalism, closely aligned with the national shift in awareness following the Davina McCall documentaries, has exposed uneven National Health Service provision, gaps in medical training and the persistence of misinformation. For many women, alternative or complementary approaches are not about rejecting medicine, but about filling the gaps left behind.
For those who feel dismissed or rushed in clinical settings, personalised approaches such as homeopathy can feel validating. The appeal lies as much in being listened to as in the remedy itself.
What the Research Shows Without Over claiming
1. Homeopathy is widely used as a non-hormonal option
Research consistently notes that homeopathy is among the most commonly used non-hormonal approaches for menopausal symptoms, including hot flushes, mood changes and sleep disturbances. Women often turn to it when HRT is unavailable, unsuitable or not aligned with their preferences.
This reflects a broader cultural shift toward integrative and individualised care, particularly among women who feel that conventional medicine does not fully address the emotional dimensions of menopause.
2. Small studies report perceived symptom improvement
A 2022 clinical evaluation of thirty menopausal women receiving individualised homeopathic treatment over six weeks reported improvements in hot flushes, mood and sleep quality. While the study was small and lacked robust controls, it reflects a recurring theme in the literature. Women frequently report feeling better, even when mechanisms remain unclear.
3. Proposed mechanisms focus on neuroendocrine pathways
A 2024 review explored potential neuroendocrine links, particularly around vasomotor symptoms and mood regulation. Remedies such as Lachesis mutus and Sepia officinal is were frequently discussed. These explanations remain theoretical, but they represent efforts to explore women’s experiences rather than dismiss them outright as they try to understand why some acknowledge relief.
4. Evidence quality remains inconsistent
Narrative reviews emphasise that while homeopathy is widely used, the research base is uneven and often narrowly focused. As Kate Muir’s work frequently highlights, this gap says more about long-standing failures in women’s health research funding and design than about the legitimacy of women’s lived experience.
How Homeopathy Compares to Other Non-Hormonal Approaches
To understand homeopathy’s place more clearly, it helps to view it alongside other non-hormonal options commonly used during menopause. What distinguishes homeopathy is not simply the remedies themselves, but the philosophy behind how they are chosen.
Rather than treating menopause as a problem to be fixed, homeopathy frames it as a transition to be understood. Remedies are selected based on the whole person, emotional patterns, physical sensations, lifestyle and personal history, which is why many women describe feeling genuinely seen in ways they may not have experienced elsewhere.
How Homeopathy Compares to Other Non‑Hormonal Approaches
Overview
Each approach offers something different. CBT, lifestyle interventions and certain medications have the strongest scientific backing. Herbal medicine and acupuncture sit somewhere in between. Homeopathy appeals most strongly to women seeking deeply individualised, holistic care.
What becomes clear is that women’s choices are shaped by far more than symptoms alone.
Culture, identity, personal history, access to care and the desire for agency all influence how menopause is navigated. There is no single “right” approach, only what feels supportive and aligned for each woman.
Why Representation Changes Care
Menopause does not happen in a cultural vacuum.
For Black and women of colour in the United Kingdom, menopause has historically been under-researched, under-discussed and culturally invisible. This is where the work of Nina Kuypers and Black Women in Menopause is transformative.
Founded by Nina Kuypers, Black Women in Menopause was created to give Black women a safe, culturally relevant space to share experiences and access support. Nina is recognised nationally as a leading menopause advocate, has spoken at the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for Menopause and has contributed to national women’s health reviews. The APPG recently released their report 'Rebuilding Trust: Tackling Inequity in Menopause Care'.
This report focuses on how women especially those from marginalised communities experience menopause care in the UK and what needs to change to make support more equitable and culturally appropriate.
Nina’s work highlights a critical reality. Black women are less likely to see their symptoms reflected in research, more likely to report being dismissed in clinical settings and often excluded from mainstream menopause messaging. Cultural expectations, stigma, intergenerational silence and systemic bias shape how menopause is experienced and managed.
In this context, approaches such as homeopathy can represent more than symptom relief. They can signal trust, agency and cultural continuity where mainstream systems have failed to listen.
Where Research, Remedies and Real Life Meet
As we bring all of this together, the research, the remedies, the cultural stories and the lived experiences, a clear picture emerges. Women are not choosing homeopathy simply because it’s “natural.” They’re choosing it because it offers something deeply personal. A way of understanding menopause that honours the whole person, not just the symptoms.
The studies may be small and the evidence still evolving, but the pattern is unmistakable. Women across generations and cultures are seeking approaches that feel aligned with their identities, their values and their desire for autonomy in this transition. Homeopathy resonates because it meets them where they are, emotionally, physically and culturally.
When we place homeopathy alongside other non‑hormonal options, it becomes clear that there is no single “right” path through menopause. There are many. Each woman’s journey is shaped by her history, her community, her beliefs and her body’s unique language.
What matters most is that women feel informed, supported and empowered to choose the approach that feels right for them. Whether that’s homeopathy, lifestyle changes, herbal support, CBT or a blend of several methods, the goal is the same. To move through menopause with confidence, clarity and a sense of agency.
If this resonated with you or if your menopause journey has been shaped by culture, access or feeling unheard, add your voice. If you have your own experiences with homeopathy or other non‑hormonal approaches share your experience.
Like, comment and pass this post on. Your story may be exactly what another woman needs to hear today.
