Until recently Menopause has been one of those taboo subjects that we simply do not talk about. Something that is hushed up or brushed under the carpet. Culturally we don’t have a history of discussing menopause openly but that is changing. Menopause s now included in school curriculums and in October 2021 a a bill was introduced in the House of Commons to make workplaces menopause friendly places (Menopause Support and Services Bill). As with any change it can take time to be fully embedded and accepted in our culture, and for some talking about this stage of life can feel unnatural or uncomfortable.
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Definition
Put simply menopause is a stage of life experienced by women, trans and non binary people. It’s directly connected to hormone levels and the effect of these hormone levels on a person’s menstrual cycle.
Stages
Menopause is the stage where periods have stopped completely. There are several stages prior to this that many people call menopause, but are separate stages in their own right, with their own definitions, symptoms and effects.
Pre-Menopause is the stage in life where oestrogen levels are at a normal level and menstruation occurs regularly. For most people this stage of life occurs naturally between the ages of 13-45, regular menstruation can begin earlier than this and continue for longer.
Peri-menopause begins when hormone levels begin to fluctuate and periods start to become irregular. This occurs for many people in their mid to late forties but can occur much earlier, or begin later in life for some.
Officially menopause begins at the time of the final menstrual bleed, with a person classed as fully menopausal when periods have ceased for a full year over the age of fifty and for two full years before the age of fifty. Post-menopause is the period of time after the cessation of menstruation. Menopause commonly occurs for most people between the ages of 45-55 but at least one in a hundred people experience menopause before the age of 40, 1 in 20 women will experience menopause between the ages of 41-45. Trans men, people who are non binary, people who have surgical interventions such as a hysterectomy, and those undergoing hormonal treatments, can also experience an early menopause.
Symptoms
Approximately 80% of women, trans and non binary people experiencing peri-menopause notice the effect of decreasing hormones in their lives and 20% experience severe symptoms* Many people associate hot flushes, night sweats, weight gain and low mood with menopause but there are up to 66 known symptoms commonly associated with peri-menopause and menopause. Lesser known symptoms include dry eyes, problems with driving, joint pain and itchy skin. A combination of several symptoms can have a detrimental effect on someone’s physical, psychological and emotional health and wellbeing. Raising awareness of the symptoms associated with menopause can help people to understand and recognise them and to understand the effects on their life.
The Stats!
Women aged 50+ are the fastest growing segment of the UK workforce, equating to approximately 1 in 6 working women in 2022, representing almost half of the workforce. Worryingly 30% of women consider leaving work because of their menopause symptoms, 1 in 10 women leave work and 1 in 5 will not apply for promotion*
Support
With many more people working and experiencing menopause there is a greater demand on our health services for support. The British Medical association published a report in 2020, Challenging the culture on menopause for working doctors which found that many General Practitioners do not have the resources or support they need to support people through menopause. This is due to the fact that there is a lack of education and training for UK doctors with 41% of University courses for GPs offering no mandatory training about menopause*, where training is included it is not deemed to be comprehensive. Currently in the UK there are only 143 menopause specialists. Carolyn Harris, MP for Swansea East is campaigning for all GPs to receive comprehensive training about the menopause, helping to ensure people seeking support have their needs met effectively.
Raising Awareness.
Whilst we might look to the medical profession for support there are steps we can all take to support people through menopause. It’s important to acknowledge that menopause is a different experience for each person. Recognising the impact of menopause on someone’s life and the fact that menopause has an impact on all of us, not just the person going through this stage of life, is helpful. Understanding why people we work with might not seem to be their usual self, being aware of additional pressures that can exacerbate symptoms such as workplace stress, caring for older relatives and teenage dependents. The world can feel like a less manageable, overwhelming place for those without support, having a negative impact on confidence and self esteem.
Things we can actively do to support people are:
Be able to offer support. Signpost people to as much help, information and support as possible and encourage positive conversations with GPs, going in with an informed opinion from a position of strength.
Find out where your nearest Menopause Cafe is and go along.
Ask your HR / Internal Services manager for your workplace Menopause policy. What support is in place to make your organisation menopause friendly?
Talk openly about menopause, help to raise awareness and debunk myth and stigma.
Find out more about menopause, there is lots of useful information available about nutrition, exercise and support networks that can be beneficial. Please also be aware of commercial enterprises branded as support and get advice from accredited and professionally recognised sources. A list of recommended resources can be found below.
Useful Resources.
