Q4 / 2019 A PROMOTIONAL SUPPLEMENT DISTRIBUTED ON BEHALF OF MEDIAPLANET, WHICH TAKES SOLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS CONTENTS
DR LOUISE NEWSON How menopause is impacting performance and attendance in the workplace. » p4
KATIE TAYLOR Talks about her own personal experience through menopause. » p4
DEBORAH GARLICK How menopause is not just a ‘woman’s issue’, and why we must change our national attitude towards it. » p6
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Let’s break the stigma around menopause
Despite all of the noise being made in the press and media about the menopause, it is still viewed as a huge taboo - almost a shameful subject.
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omen are reluctant to speak to their employers, colleagues, family and f r iends about t he menopause, thinking it will somehow put them in a bad light or make them miss out on a promotion. The perception is t hat a menopausal woman will be viewed as an emotional, hormonal and erratic woman who simply cannot cope or be trusted. Well-intended family and friends may also be dismissive just as they can be when you have PMT; you know how the comments go: “Oh... it’s that time of the month again!” We need to break the stigma together As an advocate for menopausal women ever y where, I am trying to break this stigma and t aboo a long w it h ma ny ot her a m a z i ng women, do c tors a nd healthcare professionals. It worries me that, when I tell my story, visiting huge corporations and speaking on panels, some women are too embarrassed to identify themselves as being menopausal or per imenopausa l in front of their colleagues.
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WRITTEN BY: MEG MATHEWS Menopause Campaigner, Founder of MegsMenopause
The perception is that a menopausal woman will be viewed as an emotional, hormonal and erratic woman who simply cannot cope or be trusted. This reminds me of the scarlet letter and this type of puritanical thinking that really, in this day and age, should be a thing of the past. It’s ridiculous that we, women in modern society, should be made to feel this way! This is why I am fighting every day to make changes so that menopausal women are understood and that any shame surrounding the menopause is taken away.
I h ave h ad C E O s, the gutsiest of businesswomen, in tears of relief at just having been finally understood! Being able to vent in a safe and comfortable forum where they feel they won’t be judged. This was my goal from the beginning and, every day, the more we push and fight, the closer we are to achieving this.
The feeling of being understood
Power in numbers
I speak out everywhere I go and my ow n traumatic menopause experience is the inspiration behind all the work I do. When we open a discussion about the menopause, we are inundated with questions and appreciation from women of all walks of life, united by their experiences and just searching for support. Just being able to get their feelings or ex per iences off t heir chest has been cathartic for so many, including myself!
We a s wom e n , ne e d t o unite, trust each other and have each other’s backs. In life, there is always power in numbers. As a menopause campaigner and advocate, I have found this to be true – we are a community. I will continually fight until this subject becomes the norm. Me nop au s a l wome n a r e no t women past their prime, we are all beautiful, sexual, powerful, kick-ass women!
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Menopause – changing the conversation Everyone’s talking menopause; or are they? Kathy Abernethy considers what more we need to help women through this natural life transition.
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n May 2019, BBC Break fast spent a whole week talking about menopause. This included m e e t i n g wo m e n , h e a l t h c a r e professionals and employers to discuss the impact of menopause on the lives of women. Just a few years ago, this would not have happened. Menopause was a secret from all but those going through it. It was hardly discussed between women, let only in public or at work. Ye t , a l l w o m e n w h o l i v e lon g enou g h w i l l e x p er ienc e menopause, some even in their 30s or younger! With women over 50 being the fastest growing group in the workplace, it is becoming increasingly significant to everyone, not just women. Women’s voices are creating change; healthcare needs to catch up
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The change in conversation has been driven mainly by women, wanting menopause to be more widely understood and treated as the natural life event that it is. There a re women who s e ek help from their doctors only to meet opposition when they ask to consider HRT, which is still the most effective treatment for symptoms. Healthcare professionals have been working for years to improve medica l educat ion around t he menopause, but it is only now that women are speaking out that we are finally being heard. Guidelines written in 2015 are still not fully implemented and women turn to social media for advice that they should get from a healthcare professional. The healt hcare profession is improving, but we need more GP education. Specialist support and advice needs to be delivered in a way that is accessible to all women.
WRITTEN BY: KATHY ABERNETHY Menopause Specialist, Peppy.health, Coombe Menopause Clinic, Author, Menopause: The One Stop Guide
Raising awareness and generating conversations is the first step, but helping staff to access accurate, personalised support is what makes the difference. Dispelling myths about the menopause I would like women to understand what happens during menopause. For them to be aware of lifestyle and diet choices that might improve their health and that low-risk treatments are available. With three quarters of women experiencing symptoms such as flushes, irritability, anxiety, low mood and vaginal dryness, women should be able to get the information t hey need to make choices about t reat ments in an easi ly accessible way.
Young women with premature ov a r i a n i n s u f f ic ienc y shou ld feel confident in their HRT and, for that, we need GPs too to be better informed. The workforce is getting older – women need support from their employers Due to the increasing number of employe d women over 5 0, companies are recognising a need for support. Menopause may result in hidden absences, higher long-term sickness, reductions in day-to-day productivity and lower morale.
It makes sound business sense to invest in supporting women at work during the menopause transition. Raising awareness and generating conversation is the first step, but helping staff to access accurate, p ers on a l i s e d s upp or t i s wh at makes the difference and keeps women working to their usual high standard. Th roug h Peppy, women c a n access experienced and qualified practitioners like me, paid for by their company. A fter 30 years’ working in this field of health, it is exciting for me to see how much more we are discussing menopause and how much more we can do to bring accurate advice and support to women in everyday life.
Read more at kathyabernethy.com
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The last menopause taboo: vaginal dryness It may not be a glamorous subject, but vaginal dryness is seriously affecting the quality of life for thousands of women, despite being easily treatable.
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hen it comes to menopause, women are often far more likely to talk about hot f lushes, night sweats or brain fog than they are about another common symptom– vaginal dryness. The British Menopause Society estimates that 58% of post-menopausal women suffer from this embarrassing issue, yet it can be treated very easily. Symptoms may start off as soreness, burning, itching and more frequent urinary tract infections as well as painful sex. The culprit? Usually a decrease in oestrogen levels. Th is means t hat women experiencing a medical or surgical menop au s e, due to bre a s t or gynaecological cancer treatment, are also at risk, as are women after hysterectomy whose ovaries have been removed. A taboo issue “The problem is that vaginal dryness is still a taboo issue,” says 67-year old Lavinia Winch, an Ambassador for The YES YES Company.
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Vaginal dryness symptoms may start off as soreness, burning, itching and more frequent urinary tract infections as well as painful sex. Women aren’t comfortable talking about vaginal dryness and it is known to be under-reported due to embarrassment, but the GP should be their first step for a diagnosis. Lavinia’s role includes liaising with women’s health specialists and raising awareness of vaginal dryness, which can sometimes be misdiagnosed as thrush because the symptoms may be similar. It is important for GPs to offer an examination to achieve the correct diagnosis and distinguish between dryness and the more severe vaginal atrophy (when vag inal tissues become thinner and more fragile due to oestrogen depletion) or other vulval conditions.
“I struggled for years” Lavinia herself first experienced the condition after childbirth. She says: “Vaginal dryness can occur w it h hor mona l changes, such as during breastfeeding. Certain drug treatments including allergy and cold medications and some antidepressants, can also affect vaginal tissue. “I struggled for years believing that I needed to use additional lubrication, but over-the-counter products just irritated me further. O nc e I fou nd a more n at u ra l alternative, the result was instant.” While t here are a variet y of products avai lable for vag ina l d r y ne s s, i nc lud i n g hor mon a l
and non-hormonal alternatives, L av i n ia c aut ion s t hat women should look for products that avoid concerning chemicals and known vaginal irritants such as glycerin, glycols and parabens (which are thought to mimic oestrogen and so are problematic for women with hormone sensitive conditions). She says: “The key is to look for organic, natural solutions that are pH balanced to maintain a healthy vaginal environment and avoid thrush and bacterial infections. Vaginal moisturisers are great for everyday use, whereas lubricants are better for intercourse. Women also need to understand that, if you stop using the product, the vaginal dryness will return.” For women who can’t find a solution in the pharmacy, Lavinia advocates speaking to your GP, as they should be able to prescribe tailored treatments and can refer you to a vulval specialist if required. WRITTEN BY: GINA CLARKE
INTERVIEW WITH:
LAVINIA WINCH Ambassador/Medical Liaison The YES YES Company
Sponsored by The YES YES Company Ltd Read more at yesyesyes.org/ vaginal-dryness
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Menopause can have a significant impact on workplace attendance and performance WRITTEN BY: DR LOUISE R NEWSON BSc(HONS) MBChB(HONS) MRCP FRCGP GP and Menopause Specialist, Newson Heath Menopause and Wellbeing Centre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Women over the age of 50 are the fastest growing group in the UK workforce. Menopause is hugely misunderstood across many organisations. There is commonly a lack of understanding surrounding the psychological impact of menopause.
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enopause can have very significant implications for women’s physical and mental wellbeing, which then negatively impacts on the workplace. Research has shown that menopausal women feel less engaged at work, have a lower level of commitment, feel less satisfied and have a greater intention to quit their job altogether the more bothersome their symptoms are.
It can feel awkward to discuss symptoms with your manager The prevailing culture of not talking about menopause in the workplace means many women do not feel comfortable discussing their symptoms with their manager or colleagues, and so they often do not ask for help addressing their symptoms. We recently undertook a survey of over 1,000 women, which showed that the vast
Menopausal symptoms can also lead to some women leaving their jobs early, or not putting themselves up for promotion. A significant number of women leave work at the peak of their career due to menopause As the average age of menopause is 51, it means that symptoms often occur when women are at the peak of their careers. Yet many women do not recognise that their symptoms are related to menopause, instead putting them down to the stresses of work and home. The most common symptoms affecting women in the workplace are anxiety, memory problems and fatigue. In addition, studies show that menopausal symptoms can have a significant impact on workplace attendance and performance. It can also lead to some women leaving their jobs early, or not putting themselves up for promotion.
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majority of women felt that their menopausal or perimenopausal symptoms were having a negative impact on their work and around half of reported having time off work due to their symptoms. A significant proportion of women are actually leaving work – our survey showed that around a third of women had even thought about leaving their job. However, with the right help and treatment many women find that their symptoms really improve, and so too does their ability to work (and stay at work). For the majority of women, taking the right dose of HRT provides more benefits than risks so it is essential women receive evidence-based advice and treatment. Read more at healthawareness.co.uk
My perimenopause was misdiagnosed as depression – until I found a menopause specialist WRITTEN BY: KATIE TAYLOR CEO and Founder, The Latte Lounge (Top tips for women over 40)
By the age of 43, Katie Taylor had suffered four years’ of debilitating perimenopause symptoms, misdiagnosed by doctors as depression. Once on the right treatment (HRT), she was like a new woman, and so set up The Latte Lounge (Top Tips For Women Over 40), a Facebook group and website for all midlife women. This is her story.
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here are over 33 different symptoms of perimenopause/menopause, which, unfortunately, when considered in isolation, will usually be explained away with all sorts of other reasons. This was sadly the reality that resulted in me suffering with debilitating symptoms for more than four years at the age of 43. Doctors made me feel like a hypochondriac As a busy mum with four kids, working part-time and running a home, I put my low mood, brain fog, poor memory, tiredness, t h i n n i ng ha i r, itchy sk i n, a nd he a r t palpitations down to being too busy, having diet deficiencies and just getting older. After numerous visits to the doctors, I was made to feel like a hypochondriac, and with no other obvious reason for my symptoms, I was eventually diagnosed with depression and sent on my way w it h some ant idepressants and a few sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy. Eventually, my father, a breast cancer p rofe s s or, s u g g e s te d I g o a nd s e e a gynaecologist with a special interest in the menopause. Within half an hour, she diagnosed me with perimenopause, a word I had never heard of, and she started me on HRT. It was like a lightbulb moment. I felt utter relief that I wasn’t going mad and, in fact, all these seemingly-unrelated symptoms could be accounted for, due to a severe lack of oestrogen in my body. I remember sobbing in her office with relief.
We often neglect our own health and wellbeing We are the sandwich generation, juggling so many different areas of our lives from teenage kids to ageing parents, and being so timepoor, we often neglect our own health and wellbeing or just don’t have the knowledge to understand what’s really going on with our bodies, so we rely heavily on getting the right information from our healthcare providers. However, sadly, GPs don’t have mandatory menopause training so are often unaware themselves about the signs and symptoms of perimenopause and that’s why we are all campaigning hard to change this. It is also important to state that every woman’s symptoms differ. While I suffered f rom low mo o d, bra i n fog a nd he a r t palpitations, other women suffer from vaginal dryness and osteoporosis. We have to start speaking more openly about perimenopause and menopause and breaking the taboo surrounding, what many women find, are really embarrassing symptoms to talk to their doctors, partners and friends about, such as low libido and vaginal dryness. If you feel like you’re suffering from similar symptoms, please do go to your GP, or find your nearest menopause specialist, but please know you are not alone and you do not have to suffer in silence. There are also a number of support groups to help you through this journey, including The Latte Lounge. Find out more at www.lattelounge.co
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Menopause in the workplace: breaking the taboo Working through menopause can mean struggling with a host of symptoms. By putting a few simple measures in place, employers can support their workforce more effectively.
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ooking back over the last three years, it’s amazing how much is changing around support for menopause in the workplace. As we head into our fourth year of menopause in the workplace conferences, it’s a subject that is – thankfully – gathering traction fast. Back in 2016, it was difficult to find any companies with support in place, let alone a policy or guidance document. But, now, we’re seeing an increasing number of forwardthinking organisations leading the way in breaking the taboo, getting the conversations started and, above all, supporting women when and where they need it - in the workplace. Women are retiring later, so menopause is a more common topic Menopause is a completely normal phase in a woman’s life, usually between the ages of 45 and 55, sometimes earlier. With retirement ages rocketing, it means women are working 10, 20 possibly 30 years post menopause. But statistics tell us that one in four women consider leaving work due to their menopause symptoms. (Three in four experience menopausal symptoms and one in
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four experience severe symptoms.) If employers support them through t h i s t r a n s it ion, t hey w i l l b e retaining experienced, talented staff, saving on recruitment costs and training. But, it’s not just about the bottom line - put simply, it’s the right thing to do. Psychological symptoms are often overlooked E ver y woman exper iences menopause d ifferent ly a nd s y mptom s c a n cha nge over time. Most people recognise the stereot y pic a l hot f lu shes, but what s u r pr i se s m a ny a re t he psychological effects. Yo u s i mp l y c a n’t m a ke assumpt ions about a woman’s experience when you consider the range of symptoms. Physical s y mtom s i nclude hot f lu shes,
irregular periods and ‘flooding’ (very heavy bleeding), sleep problems and fatigue, vaginal dryness and urinary issues, while psychological sy mptoms include problems with memory recall, anxiety and worr y, mood changes and loss of confidence. These don’t stop when a woman arrives at work; many women just feel too embarrassed to talk about it. They think that they won’t be taken seriously or fear being thought of as ‘old and past it’ – concerns that have been highlighted through various research. When this is combined with the lack of awareness about sy mptoms (especially during perimenopause, and considering that many women struggle with even realising they’re menopausal), this is when they may consider leaving.
One in four women consider leaving work due to their menopausal symptoms. (Three in four experience menopausal symptoms.)
WRITTEN BY: DEBORAH GARLICK Director, Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace
Women think that they won’t be taken seriously or fear being thought of as ‘old and past it’. Workshops, training, and policy changes can help organisations talk about menopause Things are changing. Some pioneering companies are bringing menopause support in their workplaces to the forefront. We’ve worked with organisations from public and private sector, all determined to break the taboo around menopause. Companies like Aviva, HSBC UK, Sainsbury’s, Southeastern, Atos, universities and NHS Trusts are all saying that the time is now. How an organisation introduces suppor t var ies. It ’s key to get ever yone i nvolve d. O n ly by breaking the stigma associated with menopause can we start to see it for what it is. Workshops, training, intranet groups, policy and guidance documents and the introduction
of reasonable adjustments, have all been introduced into workplaces. What these organisations have done is massive; they have started something big. Menopause is not a ‘women’s issue’; everyone needs to know about it and that’s ultimately how we will see our nation’s attitude to menopause change. And although the business case is clear, all the organisations we’ve worked with have done it because they know it’s the right thing to do. It’s time for all employers to do this. It’s time to take menopause off the taboo list and put it firmly on the priority list.
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