Menopause

Menopause 1

Let’s talk about the menopause, shall we?

According to Forbes magazine, there will be over 1 billion people experiencing the menopause globally by 2025. This makes the menopause so much more than an issue for just women and the broad NHS community, but a global discussion that we must continue to have.

The menopause is a stage in our lives that occurs in women in their 40s and 50s. For some people the menopause may begin earlier and this can happen naturally or occur as a side effect of some treatments. Transgender, non-binary and intersex people may also experience the menopause.

Menopause comes with symptoms that may occur differently in different people. We know that having access to the right information and support is important to enable you to make an informed choice of the lifestyle and treatment options that may ease your symptoms.

It begins with knowing!

Symptoms

You may be going through menopause if you are in your 40s or 50s and notice any of these:

hot flushes
night sweats
vaginal dryness and discomfort during sex
difficulty sleeping
low mood or anxiety
reduced sex drive (libido)
problems with memory and concentration

It’s worth talking to a GP if you are experiencing symptoms of the menopause or experiencing them before age 45.

Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) colleagues have shared some helpful menopause champions and resources below:

All About the Menopause

Dr Louise Newson

The GP and Menopause Specialist, Founder of The Menopause Charity, and Advisor to NHS England on the National Menopause Programme has a website full of information on perimenopause (few years before menopause) and menopause. The website is also the official resource for women and healthcare professionals in the Library of the Royal College of GPs.

www.menopausedoctor.co.uk

www.themenopausecharity.org

Dr Newson has also developed an app called Balance which has features that help you can track your symptoms and print out a health journal to take to your GP. She also has two books titled Menopause Manual and Preparing for the Perimenopause and Menopause.

Podcast: Newson Health Menopause & Wellbeing Centre

Instagram: menopause_doctor

Facebook: My Menopause Doctor

Liz Earle Wellbeing

www.lizearlewellbeing.com

Podcast: The Liz Earle Wellbeing Show

Instagram: lizearleme

Liz has written an insightful book titled The Good Menopause Guide and other e-books you can download from her website above titled The Truth about HRT and The Truth about Menopause.

Menopause Awareness and Training

Lets Talk About the Menopause (Alison Foster – City of Bristol College)

Diane Danzebrink

Diane Danzebrink is a professional menopause counsellor and campaigner for #MakeMenopauseMatter.

The aim of the campaign is:

For all GPs to receive mandatory menopause training
For women to be better supported in the workplace
To make menopause awareness for young people part of the national curriculum. (This aim has been achieved and will be included in the curriculum next year!)

#MakeMenopauseMatter by signing the petition.

www.dianedanzebrink.com

www.menopausesupport.co.uk

Podcast: Menopause: The Good The Bad & The Ugly

Support Networks

Dr Louise and Diane post daily bite-size information on their Instagram accounts and can reply to any questions you have.

Instagram: dianedanzebrink

Facebook: Menopause Support

The Menopause Support Network is a closed group on Facebook you can join by answering a few questions.

Womens Health Concern (WHC)

Women’s Health Concern (WHC) is the patient arm of the British Menopause Society (BMS). We provide a confidential, independent service to advise, reassure and educate women of all ages about their gynaecological and sexual health, wellbeing and lifestyle concerns. We offer unbiased information – by telephone, email, printed factsheets, online and through symposia, seminars, meetings and our workshop Living and loving well beyond 40…!A key objective is for women to forge a closer relationship with their general practitioners, nurses and other health professionals.

Find information on Vaginal Atrophy and Urinary symptoms here

Jane Lewis has written a book titled Me & My Menopausal Vagina which is available to buy on Amazon.

Instagram: my_menopausal_vagina

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published guidelines for menopause diagnosis and management for GPs and Consultants to follow here.

Get Active!

Lucy Holtom

Newson Health’s resident yoga practitioner, Lucy Holtom, presents an interactive demonstration of her Well-Woman Yoga class to help women understand the holistic benefits of yoga and its beneficial effect during the perimenopause and menopause.

25-minute interactive menopause focused yoga demonstration

Video Resources

Davina McCall

Channel 4 documentary starring Davina McCall covering her experiences with the menopause. Davina was 44 and felt like she was losing it – hot flushes, depression, mental fog. Now she tells her menopause story, busting midlife taboos from sex to hormone treatment.

Davina McCall: Sex, Myths and the Menopause

JoWhiley menopause

Jo Whiley

DJ Jo Whiley has revealed she was struggling with menopause symptoms at the same time her Radio 2 show with Simon Mayo was being criticised.

BBC News: Jo Whiley was struggling with menopause during Radio 2 show backlash

Dr Naomi Potter

Instagram: drmenopausecare

GP and Menopause Specialist, Dr Naomi holds weekly live sessions with Lisa Snowden on Wednesdays on Instagram at 18:00. These sessions are saved on their accounts so you can watch them all! Prepare your questions for the next live session!

Menopause in the Workplace

Wellbeing of Women – Menopause Workplace Pledge

Women make up nearly half of the UK workforce, but around 900,000 have quit their jobs because of the menopause.

People often struggle with their menopause symptoms in the workplace. This is why we are calling on employers to sign the Menopause Workplace Pledge and take positive action to make sure everyone going through the menopause is supported. Click here to read more about the menopause workplace pledge.

Menopause in the Workplace – Henpicked

Expert guidance and accredited training with a background in menopause, learning and development, and communications means we know how to reach each and every one of your colleagues with your message, engaging and inspiring them to understand the role they play.

Menopause in the Workplace

Our Henpicked Lunch & Learn sessions, the recordings of which are available through the links below, there are many more to be shared, and they can be found on the Henpicked Menopause Hub.

Along with many other articles, guidance and support from many of the leading specialists in the arena of menopause health, please share these amongst your networks if they may be of support and assistance.

Henpicked also have a new podcast series. You can tune in on:

Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eXqEMdba
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eSpmvkxY
or Deezer: https://lnkd.in/euZVbUqB

NHS Employers – Menopause in the Workplace

Information on how menopause can affect people at work, and practical guidance for employers on how to improve workplace environments for them.

Visit the NHS Employers sites for more resources

Photo by Alexander Suhorucov from Pexels

A Guide to Managing Menopause at Work – Guidance for line managers

Managers play a vital role in determining the health, wellbeing and engagement of their team. If you’re a manager, this guide will help you to:

be confident about your role in managing and supporting colleagues with menopausal symptoms

understand and reduce the barriers that could potentially prevent a colleague going through the menopause transition from performing and/or developing to their full potential

identify appropriate workplace changes or adjustments to support team members and help them thrive at work

foster an inclusive working environment in which everyone is treated fairly.

Introduction to the line manager support materials
Managers play a vital role in determining the health, wellbeing and engagement of their team. They also play an essential part in managing particular people management issues that arise in their team, such as bereavement, conflict, sickness absence and mental health problems, which can have a negative impact on employee health, wellbeing and engagement if not well managed.

Download the guide here: Line-Manager-Guide-to-Menopause