Why is the UK suffering HRT shortages?

Loading player...
From hot flushes and flooding to memory problems and depression, for many the menopause can be both distressing and debilitating. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can alleviate some of these symptoms by boosting levels of hormones that wane as women get older. But the UK is experiencing an acute shortage of certain HRT products, leaving some without the medication they need. Madeleine Finlay hears from Guardian reader Sara about the impact of HRT shortages on her life, and speaks to science reporter Nicola Davis about why demand isn’t being met and what’s being done to fix the problem. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
5 May 2022 English United Kingdom Science · Nature

Other recent episodes

Is AI making us stupid?

Artificial intelligence can execute tasks in seconds that once took humans hours, if not days to complete. While this may be great for productivity, some researchers are concerned that our increasing use of AI could be impacting our ability to tackle difficult problems and think critically. To find out where…
2 Dec 19 min

Is it the beginning of the end for animal testing?

Patrick Vallance, the minister for science, research and innovation, recently unveiled a plan to cut animal testing through greater use of AI and other technologies, with the eventual aim of phasing it out altogether. To understand how this will affect research and what could be used in place of animal…
27 Nov 17 min

Bitter rows and overnight talks: how a fragile Cop30 deal was agreed

After bitter arguments, threatened walkouts and heated all-night negotiations, delegates eventually reached a deal this weekend at the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil. To unpick what was achieved and what was left out, Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s environment editor, Fiona Harvey, who has been following every twist and…
24 Nov 15 min

‘Chunks of earth just disappear’: life on a collapsing island

As the Cop30 climate talks continue in Brazil, Madeleine Finlay hears about a landscape at the opposite end of the planet facing the direct impacts of the climate crisis. The Guardian reporter Leyland Cecco recounts a recent trip to Qikiqtaruk (also known as Herschel Island) off the coast of Canada’s…
20 Nov 16 min