A 2026 survey reveals a gap in U.S. family-medicine training, where most residency programs include menopause education but lack formal competency assessments.
On September 30, 2026, the journal of The Menopause Society published new survey data about medical education. The study examined how U.S. family-medicine residency programs teach their doctors about menopause. The findings reveal a noticeable gap between the reported presence of menopause education and evidence of consistent preparation. Most responding program directors stated their residencies include some menopause teaching.
However, the survey described variable coverage and a lack of formal competency assessment. This suggests that simply having a curriculum does not guarantee deep clinical preparation. For adults navigating changes in their physical health, this systemic educational gap provides important context. It helps explain why some primary care visits may feel less informative than expected.
To understand how medical education is delivered, researchers conducted a national needs assessment. They surveyed U.S. family-medicine residency program directors about their specific teaching practices. The research paper is titled “Building capacity for menopause care: a national needs assessment of menopause education in U.S. family medicine residency programs.” The study report says 313 directors responded to the broader survey.
This represents a 44.7% response rate among those surveyed. Out of that group, 279 directors completed the specific questions focused on menopause. The program directors are the architects of medical training for new doctors. They decide how much time is spent on specific health topics.
By surveying the directors who design these programs, researchers aimed to measure how widespread menopause education actually is. Residency is the critical training period where newly graduated doctors learn their specific specialty. For family medicine, this training must cover an extensive range of human health conditions across a patient's entire lifespan. The researchers wanted to see if menopause care was receiving adequate attention within these demanding schedules.
The survey design allowed directors to share both what they teach and where they see room for growth. This dual approach provides a clearer picture of current educational priorities.
The survey produced several clear statistics about the current state of family-medicine training. Ninety-four percent of the responding directors reported menopause education in their curriculum. They noted this teaching occurred either as a dedicated program or within broader women’s-health education. This high reported presence aligns with established medical guidelines.
The release identifies menopause management as a core knowledge area in the American Academy of Family Physicians’ women’s-health curricular guidelines. These guidelines help ensure that foundational topics are not completely ignored. Despite this high reported inclusion, the study report describes menopause curriculum coverage as variable. The mere presence of a topic on a syllabus does not dictate how deeply it is taught.
Crucially, the surveyed training programs lacked formal competency assessments for their residents. Without these formal assessments, the actual depth and consistency of the training remain unclear. Simply teaching a subject does not prove that a resident has mastered the clinical skills to apply it safely. Many program directors recognized this gap themselves.
In the survey, 56% of responding program directors agreed that menopause education needed improvement. Acknowledging a problem is often the first step toward reforming medical education. To address these shortcomings, the study authors offered a potential path forward. The researchers proposed scalable, on-demand learning with competency assessment as a promising route to strengthen menopause training.
While these numbers are helpful, the survey data has important limitations that require careful reading. A 94% reported inclusion rate means menopause education appeared in some form within the program. It does not show that programs covered the exact same material or devoted the same time to the topic. It also does not prove that residents are prepared to manage every menopause-related concern they might encounter.
Because the survey response rate was 44.7%, the findings only describe the responding directors. The data should not be viewed as a direct audit of every single U.S. residency program in existence. Furthermore, the survey focuses entirely on clinician education rather than patient treatment outcomes. A program director’s view that education needs improvement is evidence of a perceived need.
It is not a direct test of residents’ knowledge or a measure of patient health. The study does not provide topic-by-topic results on sexual health, specific symptoms, or hormone therapy. It also does not quantify the amount of direct clinical exposure residents receive during their training. Therefore, the survey does not establish that sexual-wellbeing education itself was deficient.
It only shows that formal testing of that specific knowledge is missing. Finally, the proposed on-demand modules and competency assessments are simply a suggested direction. They are not evidence that such a model has already improved clinical care in practice. The researchers identified a gap in clinical training opportunities without supplying topic-specific percentages for those gaps.
Menopause brings significant physical changes that require a comprehensive clinical understanding. American Medical Association coverage describes sexual health as one of several topics that may belong in menopause-related conversations. The coverage notes that clinical conversations often extend beyond hot flashes to sleep and mood. Doctors may also address heart health, bone health and lifestyle.
This broad scope highlights why consistent training is so vital for primary-care providers. Menopause is not a single symptom, and managing it often requires connecting different aspects of sexual longevity and aging. When a patient reports poor sleep, it may connect to mood shifts or physical discomfort. Recognizing these persistent training gaps, professional organizations are working to provide additional educational resources.
Dr. Stephanie Faubion, the medical director of The Menopause Society, addressed these ongoing challenges. She stated that residency integration and learning opportunities for clinicians already in practice are both important to closing menopause-training gaps. To support ongoing education, The Menopause Society says its Menopause Academy offers an online hub of courses, continuing-medical-education modules, videos and podcasts. However, the release does not establish that every resource in this hub includes a formal competency assessment.
Other healthcare systems demonstrate different approaches to supporting primary-care providers. In a separate Veterans Affairs network practice scan, researchers looked at available clinical support structures. The scan gathered responses from 60 of 73 active network sites. In that group, 88% of responding sites reported access to VA-based consultants.
These consultants could assist primary-care providers with the pharmacological management of menopause symptoms. This provides specific VA-system context rather than a national measure of training or general clinical access. It shows that some systems use specialized consultants when general primary care training is not enough.
For adults navigating midlife changes, these findings validate a common point of frustration in medical care. If you have ever felt that a primary care physician brushed over a menopause concern, this survey offers context. The data suggests that training being present in a curriculum does not, by itself, demonstrate consistent competence. It points to a system-level rationale for clearer learning objectives and formal assessments in medical education.
It is a structural issue within residency training rather than a verdict on every individual family physician. Many doctors want to provide better care but simply lack the formal educational background to do so confidently. Understanding this structural gap can change how you prepare for your next medical appointment. Patients discussing midlife or postmenopausal changes can raise sexual wellbeing alongside other health concerns.
Because midlife and aging affect multiple bodily systems, you may need to clearly state all your symptoms together. If a family physician seems hesitant, it may reflect their specific training exposure rather than a lack of empathy. They simply might not have received formal competency assessments on the specific physical changes you are experiencing. This context is particularly important when seeking help for complex or intimate issues.
Changes in desire, arousal and physical comfort are deeply tied to women's sexual wellness during menopause. Knowing that clinical training varies widely allows you to advocate for yourself more effectively and calmly. You can ask your primary care provider if they frequently manage menopause care. If they do not, you can confidently request a referral to a specialist or a dedicated consultant.
You do not need to feel dismissed if the first doctor you see cannot provide detailed answers. Medical education is slowly adapting to meet the complex needs of aging adults. Until consistent, assessed training becomes the standard, patient self-advocacy remains essential in the examination room. The goal is to build a healthcare system where mature adults can discuss relationships and intimacy openly, and finding competent guidance is a crucial first step.
Your health journey deserves clarity. By understanding the current landscape of medical training, you can take a more active role in finding the support you need.
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