October is World Menopause Month in the UK which aims to raise awareness of menopause symptoms and end taboos. Menopause impacts everyone with functioning female reproductive systems starting from around the age of 45.
From an early age women and girls are shunned to keep quiet about their periods and experiences. This silence can last all the way through to menopause too, making women feel isolated and unsure of what to do.
Research commissioned by Holland & Barrett found that 61% of women don’t discuss menopause or peri-menopause for fear of being judged. That’s two thirds of women who are afraid to talk about this normal phase in their life due to taboos and shaming.
On top of this only half of the women involved in the research were comfortable speaking about it with family and friends. That leaves 49% of women unable to voice their experience of menopause to their loved ones or children who may face the same in the future.
Even more shocking, one in three women said they had already had a negative reaction when discussing menopause. By silencing women on this topic, scientific advancements that could help future generations are lost through shame and taboo.
If the topic is never discussed or taken seriously then young women won’t know what symptoms to look out for. This creates a gap in knowledge which in turn could result in women missing signs for other serious illnesses because they dismiss them as menopausal.
Holland & Barret in collaboration with TV presenter Cherry Healey are launching a Pause & Listen pledge and setting up consultation rooms across the country. These are for women to discuss symptoms freely with a trained menopause adviser.
Cherry Healey said: "Since recently being diagnosed as perimenopausal, I’ve been fortunate enough to have been supported and listened to, yet I sadly know this isn’t the same experience for so many. That’s why taking part in Holland & Barrett’s Pause & Listen Pledge is so important to me – we must get more women talking openly about their experience, the good, the bad and the ugly, so they receive the support they need, and the only way we’ll achieve this is if we create an environment where women feel listened to, without judgement.”
The movement is intended to break the taboo around menopause and allow more open and honest discussions about this hormonal shift which happens to everyone whose period cycle is ending. All Holland & Barrett employees will be given training on the subject too in order to provide better advice.
Fiona Sweny, Wellness Futures Science Lead at Holland & Barrett said: “There has been real progress made in recent years to bring the menopause to the forefront of the conversation, thanks to the many high-profile women who have been openly speaking about their experiences in the media. However, while awareness has improved, there is still a big job to be done in helping women feel heard. We know everyone’s journey is different and while we won't pretend to know how an individual’s experience feels, we can promise to be there to listen, support, and offer guidance and invite others to join us in this promise.”
Despite the fact that 83% of women believe that menopause is less of a taboo now than ever before, it seems there is still a long way to go before it is freely discussed. Older women need to feel empowered so that the younger generations can be better informed.
While there are some treatments for menopause available such as hormone replacement therapy, it can be hard to manage. Symptoms to watch out for according to the NHS are changes in your mental health, difficulty sleeping, hot flushes, muscle aches and of course abnormal periods.
