How LifeMD Makes Hormone Therapy Consultation Convenient and Confidential
When Jodi Miller sought help for distressing symptoms—weight gain, mood swings, disrupted sleep, and irregular cycles—her OB-GYN told her that “all of what I was experiencing was a part of ‘the change’ and that there was nothing that could be done.” Other healthcare providers in her area gave the same dismissive response.
Miller’s experience reflects a broader crisis in menopause care. A Yale University study found that although 60 percent of women with significant menopause symptoms seek medical attention, three-quarters of them receive no treatment. This gap has created an opportunity for virtual healthcare to fundamentally change how women access menopause treatment.
The Problem: Women Dismissed by Healthcare Providers
In qualitative research with menopausal women in the UK, participants consistently reported feeling dismissed by healthcare professionals, with symptoms minimized or misattributed to unrelated causes. Women describe feeling “dismissed,” “brushed off,” and “not feeling heard.” Common responses they receive include being told they’re “too young,” that they “still have regular cycles” and therefore couldn’t be experiencing perimenopause, or simply that their symptoms are “just how it is.”
A UK government survey of nearly 100,000 women found that 91 percent felt they lacked adequate information about menopause, and 36 percent didn’t feel comfortable discussing it with healthcare professionals.
Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of The Menopause Society, describes the prevailing attitude among many physicians: “If I just ignore it, these women and this problem will go away.” With menopause symptoms lasting seven to nine years on average, she emphasizes: “We can’t just pat women on the head, tell them it’s going to be fine and not to worry about these symptoms.”
OB-GYNs Often Not Trained in Menopause Care
The roots of inadequate care trace back to medical education. Fewer than 20 percent of U.S. obstetrics and gynecology residents receive formal training in menopause medicine. A 2019 study found that just six percent of residents felt comfortable managing menopause, with more than a third saying they were not prepared at all. On average, they reported about two hours of menopause education in medical school—total.
This training gap has real consequences. Dr. Anna Barbieri, an OB-GYN, experienced it personally. At age 41, when she developed brain fog and forgetfulness, she—despite being a busy ob-gyn—went to a neurologist for a brain MRI. “I didn’t have a brain tumor. I was actually in early perimenopause,” she told Yahoo Life.
Many women turn to their OB-GYN as their primary care provider, but as LifeMD notes, “that’s not their gig. That’s not what they’re trained to do.” A study in The Menopause Society’s journal found that although 75 percent of women experience hot flashes during menopause, less than one-fourth had their symptoms documented in medical records, and only 6.1 percent received hormone therapy.
Removing Barriers: Embarrassment, Time, and Specialist Access
Women face multiple obstacles when seeking menopause care beyond provider training gaps:
Embarrassment and stigma. Many women feel uncomfortable discussing intimate symptoms like vaginal dryness or sexual dysfunction—precisely the conversations needed for effective treatment. Menopause carries cultural stigma tied to aging, making women hesitant to seek help.
Time constraints. The average primary care visit lasts just 10 minutes, insufficient for evaluating symptoms spanning cardiovascular health, mood, bone density, and metabolism.
Access to specialists. With 75 million menopausal individuals but only approximately 3,000 certified menopause providers in the United States, access remains severely limited. Wait times stretch for months, and many women don’t live near trained practitioners.
Provider run-around. One research participant shared: “I had to go to an ob-gyn and 3 cardiologists before I found one who believed me and had knowledge that it could be linked to hormonal changes.”
How Telehealth Addresses Both Practical and Emotional Barriers
Virtual care platforms designed for menopause management address these obstacles comprehensively. LifeMD’s Women’s Health program provides 24/7 access to U.S. state-licensed providers through a 50-state affiliated medical group, eliminating geographic barriers.
Confidential space for sensitive conversations. Many women find it easier to discuss intimate symptoms from home rather than in clinical settings where embarrassment might prevent transparency.
Flexible scheduling. Round-the-clock availability accommodates women balancing work and caregiving responsibilities that make traditional office hours difficult.
Reduced wait times. Instead of waiting weeks or months for specialists, women can often connect with qualified providers within days.
Ongoing provider relationships. LifeMD’s program includes regular check-ins with care teams and the ability to work with the same provider throughout treatment, building the trust and continuity that hormone therapy monitoring requires.
Why Women Choose Video-Based Care
LifeMD’s patient demographics reveal something telling. The platform’s user base is approximately 70 percent female. When given the choice between message-based consultations and video appointments, 70 to 80 percent of female patients choose video visits because they “actually want to have that relationship” with their provider.
This preference reflects broader patterns. Women are healthcare decision-makers who value convenience and accessibility, but they’re also highly discerning about health. They don’t just want the fastest path to a prescription—they want meaningful engagement with knowledgeable providers who listen.
Video consultations allow for the comprehensive discussions that menopause care requires. Providers can observe patients, ask detailed questions about symptom patterns, discuss medical history and risk factors, and develop nuanced treatment plans beyond simply writing prescriptions.
Validation Alongside Treatment
For many women, validation matters as much as medication. After years of dismissed symptoms, connecting with a provider who confirms their experiences are real and treatable can be transformative. As Gennev founder Jill Angelo notes, menopause care is “perfect for telehealth because so much of it is a conversation between patient and provider.”
One patient described: “Our Zoom calls are more connective than any face-to-face I have had. My relationship with this telehealth service has changed my life.”
Monthly Check-Ins for HRT Monitoring with Providers Who Listen
Effective hormone replacement therapy requires ongoing monitoring and dose adjustments. Everyone metabolizes medications differently, and finding optimal hormone levels is a process of careful titration based on symptom response.
LifeMD’s subscription model, which has proactive monthly patient/provider touchpoints, provides the structure that hormone therapy management needs. These regular consultations allow providers to assess treatment effectiveness, make adjustments, and address concerns promptly—a stark contrast to the “set it and forget it” approach some women experience in traditional healthcare.
The platform’s expert-guided hormone replacement therapy targets multiple symptoms, including fatigue, weight gain, and low libido, with tools to support healthy aging. This comprehensive approach recognizes that women aren’t just seeking to stop hot flashes—they want to feel like themselves again and optimize health for the decades ahead.
The Economic Reality of Untreated Symptoms
Barriers to menopause care have broader implications. A June 2023 Mayo Clinic study estimated an annual loss of $1.8 billion in the United States due to workdays missed from menopause symptoms. The research concluded there was a strong need to improve medical treatment and workplace support to avoid such productivity losses.
What Makes LifeMD’s Approach Different
LifeMD connects patients with U.S. state-licensed providers through a 50-state affiliated medical group—not contractors working across multiple platforms but healthcare professionals integrated into a cohesive care delivery system. The platform offers both video-based and message-based consultations, giving women flexibility while maintaining options for in-depth appointments.
The Women’s Health program’s clinical methodology, rooted in bone health and preventive care rather than just symptom management, reflects a whole-body approach to menopause treatment. This perspective recognizes that hormone therapy isn’t just about eliminating hot flashes—it’s about supporting long-term health, including bone density, cardiovascular function, and metabolic wellness.
Meeting Women Where They Are
The success of telehealth for menopause care comes down to meeting women where they actually are—geographically, practically, and emotionally. Virtual care platforms that prioritize expertise, ongoing relationships, and comprehensive treatment offer an alternative to fragmented, inadequate care.
By combining specialist knowledge with accessible delivery, confidential consultation with meaningful provider relationships, and convenience with clinical rigor, telehealth proves particularly well-suited to addressing the complex needs of menopausal women.
For millions of women navigating perimenopause and menopause, platforms like LifeMD represent more than convenient access to hormone prescriptions. They offer what many have struggled to find: knowledgeable providers who listen, comprehensive treatment plans addressing multiple symptoms, ongoing monitoring optimizing results, and validation that their experiences are real, treatable, and worthy of medical attention.
That combination—access plus validation, convenience plus expertise—is why telehealth is fundamentally changing menopause care for the better.