When you picked up your first menopause prescription and saw “PROBABLE DEMENTIA” screaming at you from the label, did you feel empowered? Educated? Safe?

Or did you panic, toss the box in the trash, and wonder if suffering in silence was the better option?

If so, you're not alone. We had the same reservations when we first started on HRT. And you're definitely not imagining things. That fear was manufactured.

The Truth About the Black Box

For 22 years, the FDA’s most serious warning label — the infamous black box — has appeared on hormone therapy treatments for menopause. It claimed increased risks of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, and even dementia. But here's the kicker:

No clinical trial has ever supported those risks for most modern hormone therapies.

That’s according to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who is now leading a reassessment of the label’s accuracy. “We got hormone replacement therapy wrong for 22 years,” he said in a July podcast interview. “We scared women. The system doesn’t think enough about the specific needs of women’s bodies.”

The Data Has Changed. The Labels Haven’t.

The original fears stem from the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study, which used outdated, synthetic hormone formulations no longer common in practice. Modern hormone therapy — especially bioidentical estradiol — has a very different risk profile.

So why are women still being warned off life-improving care?

Dr. Heather Hirsch put it bluntly at a recent FDA panel: “The science has evolved, but the warning labels haven’t.”

And that’s not just frustrating — it’s dangerous.

Only 4% of eligible women are using estrogen for bone protection, even though it reduces fracture risk by up to 50%.

That’s a lot of pain, urgent care visits, and avoidable surgeries… all because of a warning that may no longer apply.

This Is What Medical Gaslighting Looks Like

For decades, the system has ignored and underfunded women’s health. In 2023, just 1% of NIH’s annual budget went to menopause research (source).

Doctors get less than an hour of menopause training in med school. Women are left Googling, crowd-sourcing, and guessing. And when they do ask for help? They’re often told they’re too young, too emotional, or too risky to treat.

That’s not medicine. That’s neglect.

We’re Done Being Scared Off Care

Whether the black box warning gets revised or removed (the FDA is currently reviewing), what matters most is this:

• You have a right to accurate information.
• You deserve access to safe, supportive options for your body.
• And you should never be forced to suffer because of outdated fear-based messaging.

It’s time to change the label — and the story.

Menopause isn’t a mystery. It’s a reality. One we’re ready to face, together — with facts, not fear.

Need Tools to Advocate for Yourself?

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About Shebang

Shebang is a women-founded brand reshaping the menopause experience. We’re here to flip the script on midlife—less shame, more soul. Through curated subscription boxes, real talk education, and a community that actually gets it, we’re helping women reclaim their energy, power, and permission to pause.

We started Shebang because we were tired of feeling dismissed, overwhelmed, and alone in our own perimenopause journeys. So we created what we wished we had: a lifeline disguised as a care package.

Whether you’re in the thick of hot flashes, ragey mornings, or existential unraveling, we’ve got you. Welcome to the club you didn’t ask to join—but won’t want to leave.

• 💬 Join the convo on Instagram
• 📬 Get symptom support + midlife mindset inspo in your inbox — subscribe here
• 📦 Check out the Shebang Box waitlist (your permission slip in a box)

Because midlife isn’t a crisis. It’s a catalyst. 💥