The holidays have come and it’s your turn to host the family. And then it hits you, you are peri-menopausal. You have no control over your hot flashes, your mood swings and that horrible flooding sensation. But you soldier on, because women have done that for years, right? Wrong!
In the past, the menopausal woman has been portrayed as laughable as she navigates her mid-life journey. Now, female cultural icons from Michelle Obama to Canadian recording artist Jully Black are speaking up and reminding us that 51% of the world’s population experiences menopause – and we don’t know nearly enough about it.
Recently, there has been a flurry of news reports and pop culture references to menopause and how women are not getting the health support they need. Menopause Awareness Month (October) opened the door to information and education about ‘the Change’.
According to the Menopause Foundation of Canada, “95 per cent of women will experience one or more of 30-plus menopause symptoms, yet half say they are unprepared for this life stage. A significant proportion say they hid their symptoms at work (24%) and would not feel comfortable speaking to their supervisor (67%) or to someone in human resources (70%) about support.” [Menopause Foundation of Canada]
I have two daughters and two daughters-in-law who are currently at the peak of their careers and who are also in peri-menopause – and it’s not a pretty picture. Random menstrual flooding, night sweats, irritability, sleepless nights are all part of 30-plus symptoms that have been clocked as part of menopausal issues, and my daughters’ everyday lives. At the same time, these women are dealing with international contracts, federal health system transitions, human resource problems, and federal trade missions to Japan and South Korea.
It would be interesting to ask women if their health care practitioners have ever mentioned menopause. I would guess not. Given that women are reluctant to share what’s going on “down there” or they are unaware of symptoms of peri-menopause, the health care they could receive is not being offered. In a recent panel discussion sponsored by the Walrus (The Walrus Talks Menopause), researchers shared that the thinking about therapies, such as HRT, has changed dramatically based on the evolution of scientific evidence. Depending on discussions between women and their health-care providers, many might be spared debilitating symptoms with these interventions.
Unfortunately, Family Physicians admit that their education regarding menopause is ridiculously limited – sometimes to only one or two hours of their full training. [White Coat Black Art – CBC]
It is past the time to address supports for women in mid-life, and conversations should be happening with doctors, at workplaces and within families. We can’t wait a year for the next Menopause Awareness month. Women are experiencing these issues every day and they need the appropriate information and treatments from health care practitioners, who understand “what works” to improve women’s lived experience at this time of life.
Women need to talk about menopause openly and raise awareness of how peri-menopause and menopause impact all aspects of life, so that health care practitioners can better address the needs of women. We need to improve education to health-care practitioners, so they know how to support women.
Once you shine a light on the issues and turn up the heat (pun intended) things tend to get noticed and addressed. Are you brave enough to tell the family, “Look, I’m not sure how this will go as I am peri-menopausal, but I’m going to give it a whirl.” You may be surprised at the freedom this gives everyone to talk about ‘the Change’!
Pat Sanagan
CFUW Southport
