COLUMN: Health Matters - how does menopause matter to you

Would it also be a shock to know that until September 2020 we were not taught about menopause in school - not all women will experience pregnancy or childbirth but they will ALL go through menopause.

Many of the first symptoms are psychological; low mood, anxiety, depression, mood swings, lack of confidence, difficulty sleeping etc.

It is common to feel a ‘loss of self’, it can be frightening, add that to brain fog and memory issues, it can have a huge impact on not just the person going through menopause but also their family, friends and colleagues.

This is without taking physical symptoms into consideration…

Although hot flushes and night sweats are the most well-known, only 25% of women will not have these, more common are the heart palpitations, joint/muscle pain, dry itchy skin, oral health changes, headaches/migraines, thinning/drying hair, digestive issues, urinary/vaginal symptoms, loss of libido to name a few.

If you haven’t been taught about all these symptoms, when they begin it can be confusing and worrying. You can be back and forth to your GP with a different symptom every month and if you don’t understand why you are feeling these things, it can be even more worrying for your partner/family/colleagues and relationships can be affected.

Thanks to the #MakeMenopauseMatter campaign launched in 2018 by Diane Danzebrink which asked for ;

Menopause to be added to the PSHE curriculum in school.

Menopause guidelines in the workplace.

Mandatory training in menopause for medical students.

A public health campaign on menopause.

From September 2020 menopause is being taught in schools so everyone will have an understanding either for themselves or for someone they care about.

Menopause guidelines in the workplace are becoming normal and from September 2024 ALL medical students will learn about menopause.

This was achieved by grass roots campaigners coming together and pushing for change, over 200,000 signatures made this happen by drawing attention to what was needed.

We still need training for GPs who are already qualified to ensure they are up to date with current guidelines so please consider signing the campaign which you can find at menopausesupport.co.uk – Supporting You Through Change along with lots of excellent free resources for women, partners and the workplace including a free 44 page ‘Understanding Menopause’ booklet. Read or download our new guidance booklet – menopausesupport.co.uk

Be informed, be prepared, be supportive.