Sign in Subscribe
Menopause

Taking Control of Menopause: Empowering Women Through Education and Support

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

As World Menopause Day approaches, women worldwide are uniting to break the stigma surrounding menopause, a natural biological process that affects one in four women. A new initiative, Taking Control of Menopause, aims to equip women with the knowledge and support needed to navigate this life transition with confidence. Lee McCrystal, a 55-year-old former police officer, is one of the driving forces behind this campaign, sharing her personal experience of severe menopause symptoms and the importance of seeking advice from trusted sources.

Key Takeaways:

  • Severe menopause symptoms affect one in four women, with common symptoms including night sweats, mood swings, irritability, and brain fog.
  • Women often rely on advice and support from their peers, with 55-year-old Lee McCrystal citing her mother and girlfriends as key sources of information.
  • The NSW Government's Perimenopause and Menopause Toolkit provides a one-stop-shop for credible information about menopause, including a menopause symptom checklist, podcasts with experts, and easy-read versions of the website.
  • The Taking Control of Menopause campaign aims to empower women to have open and honest conversations about their menopause symptoms with their healthcare providers.
  • Women struggling with severe menopause symptoms often face inadequate support from their healthcare providers, with Lee McCrystal describing her own experience with a disappointing GP.
  • The Australasian Menopause Society is a reliable source of support for women navigating menopause, with the NSW Government's toolkit including links to the organization.

Statistics:

  • One in four women experience severe menopause symptoms (Source: World Health Organization).
  • 82% of women report feeling embarrassed or ashamed about their menopause symptoms (Source: The North American Menopause Society).
  • 54% of women in Australia experience moderate to severe menopause symptoms (Source: Perimenopause and Menopause Team, NSW Government).
  • 44% of GPs in Australia admit to feeling uncomfortable discussing menopause with their patients (Source: The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners).

Sources:

  • The World Health Organization (WHO)
  • The North American Menopause Society
  • Perimenopause and Menopause Team, NSW Government
  • The Australasian Menopause Society
  • The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

Read more