“A Minefield for the Novice”: Australian Women’s Experiences Seeking Health Information Online About Perimenopause

During perimenopause, many women experience psychological and physiological symptoms that can seriously impact quality of life and future health. However, they report challenges accessing appropriate information and medical support, likely exacerbated by clinician knowledge gaps, stigma, and a persistent lack of research, consistent with a documented pattern of structural sexism in health systems. Consequently, women increasingly turn to alternative sources, particularly online, for support. Although scholarship exists on online health-information seeking and women's digital health engagement, limited research examines how women navigate online health information under clinical and structural invalidation. This study gathered responses from 58 perimenopausal women through an online qualitative survey and constructed three themes using reflexive thematic analysis: (a) the search for validation; (b) trust erosion and the support gap; and (c) self-efficacy, agency and kinship. Interpreted through an epistemic injustice lens, the findings indicated that participants used digital literacy strategies to reassert epistemic standing and compensate for structural lack of support, yet were left to navigate variable-quality health information. Therefore, health information providers and policymakers should acknowledge perimenopausal complexity, model knowledge-appraisal strategies rather than present information as resolved, and mandate training to address the support gap. Health professionals should also validate women's epistemic standing before clinically interpreting symptoms.