London academics have teamed up with health charities to design the UK's first education and support programme for women experiencing menopause.
The National Menopause Education and Support Programme, created by University College London (UCL), will give women reaching menopausal age a better understanding of changes happening in their bodies, as well as peer support from others going through a similar experience.
Across a number of weeks, participants will be given up-to-date and evidence-based menopause education, including symptoms and treatments.
Sessions will be delivered by trained healthcare professionals, supported by leading women's charities including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and British Menopause Society (BMS).
Research published earlier this year by Professor Joyce Harper, who is leading the programme, has shown that more than 90 per cent of women were never educated about the menopause at school. Over 60 per cent only started looking for information about it once they began to experience menopausal symptoms.
Prof Harper, a professor in the Institute for Women’s Health at UCL, said they want to help women access the information they need “to manage the changes they experience in this part of their life, in the best way possible”.
She said: “Research has shown that women are currently poorly educated about the menopause and often go into it not understanding what to expect.
“Some menopausal symptoms can cause psychological issues and women may mistake their symptoms for mental health issues or other concerning causes, and this can have a negative effect on their wellbeing.”
Work on developing the programme will begin at UCL in September and the university hopes that companies will offer the course to employees.
Prof Harper said they want to “keep the price of the programme low to make it accessible to everyone” and plan to work with firms so they can make it available to employees.
Janet Lindsay, CEO of Wellbeing of Women, said: “We’re thrilled to be part of this exciting new project to improve menopause education, and we welcome the research approach of co-designing with the voices of women affected.
“Every woman deserves access to high-quality information and menopause support, yet as research from Professor Harper shows, too many women haven’t been given the knowledge they desperately need and deserve. We hope this work will empower a generation of women to understand the changes to their bodies during menopause and access help to manage their symptoms.”
