Today is World Menopause Day!

Today (Friday 18 October) is World Menopause Day, which aims to raise awareness of the menopause and the support options available for improving health and well being.

This year's theme is Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT). Though menopause and menopause hormone therapy are well-understood in some parts of the world, they still receive little attention or remain controversial in others.

Menopause and MHT

It is the goal of the International Menopause Society to ensure that people are empowered with evidence-based resources to make fully informed choices. The aim of the Day and the IMS White Paper will be to provide a well-balanced blueprint for both healthcare professionals and the public for managing the menopause with MHT, where appropriate to do so.

Menopause is when a woman's periods stop due to lower hormone levels. It usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55, but can also be earlier or later. It can happen for a number of reasons, including:

• naturally;
• genetics;
• surgery;
• cancer treatments.

MHT supplements the hormones your body stops making after menopause. These hormones, particularly estrogen and progesterone, are crucial for managing menopause symptoms and protecting your health:

• estrogen: the main hormone use in MHT helps to reduce hot flushes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness;
• progesterone: this is given to women who still have a uterus (womb) to help protect the womb lining from growing too much when taking estrogen.

Tips from the International Menopause Society on MHT includes:

• talk to your healthcare professional - menopause is a natural stage of life, but if your symptoms are affecting your quality of life, it is important to discuss treatment options with a healthcare professional;
• stay informed - rely on information from trusted sources and be sure you understand both the benefits and risks of MHT so you can make a choice that fits your health needs;
• do not suffer in silence - many experience relief from MHT, but other options are available if it is not right for you.

Impact at work

Menopause symptoms can have a significant impact on working people.

Research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found that two thirds (67%) of working women between the ages of 40 and 60 with experience of menopausal symptoms said they have had a mostly negative impact on them at work.

Of those who were negatively affected at work:

• 79% said they were less able to concentrate;
• 68% said they experienced more stress;
• nearly half (49%) said they felt less patient with clients and colleagues; and
• 46% felt less physically able to carry out work tasks.

Over half of respondents were able to think of a time when they were unable to go into work due to their menopause symptoms.

Further research by the Fawcett Society found that one in ten women surveyed who were employed during the menopause left work due to menopause symptoms.

Under the Equality Act 2010, workers are protected from discrimination, harassment and victimisation on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability, age and sex.

If menopause symptoms have a long term and substantial impact on a woman's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, these symptoms can be considered a disability. If menopause symptoms amount to a disability, an employer will be under a legal obligation to:

• make reasonable adjustments to remove, reduce, or prevent the obstacles caused by the menopause;
• not directly or indirectly discriminate because of the disability or subject the woman to discrimination arising from disability.

Women experiencing menopause symptoms may also be protected from direct and indirect discrimination, as well as harassment and victimisation, on the grounds of age and sex.

Celebrate World Menopause Day

There are many ways to celebrate World Menopause Day, which includes:

• hosting a colleague awareness session;
• running a menopause cafe where colleagues can chat and discuss the topic;
• holding a menopause event either in person or online;
• launching a menopause e-learning programme;
• checking that your company is menopause friendly;
• sharing and encouraging others to read literature and information on menopause.

For more information on this subject, see:

• Menopause in the workplace - Employee experiences in 2023;
• Menopause and the workplace;
• Menopause and MHT in 2024: addressing the key controversies.