You know we love to talk about periods, sex and basically everything to do with the downstairs area but we have been neglecting a pretty vital part of all that. THE MENOPAUSE! It was time to acknowledge it in all its glory and just in time for World Menopause Day! Let’s get into it…
What is World Menopause Day?
World Menopause Day is held every year on the 18th of October. It was originally created by the International Menopause Society (see more on them here). Its aim is to raise awareness of the menopause and to improve health and wellbeing for midlife and beyond. This year’s theme- Cognition and Mood.
Why is it important?
If you have a womb or if you know someone who has a womb, then this is something to take notice of and be aware of.
Menopause has been kept weirdly quiet for many, many years. Along with everything else to do with reproductive health and medicine, it has been under researched and underfunded for far too long.
This has left a lot of people having a pretty terrible time when the menopause rolls round with lack of information and support. Add on the wall of silence that surrounds this topic and you can see why raising awareness and starting conversations is so important.
Getting into the nitty gritty- What is the Menopause?
You can’t talk about the menopause without first discussing the Perimenopause, so…
Perimenopause
Perimenopause is a transitional time which marks the beginning of the end of your reproductive years. It can last for months or even years. The person may experience changes to periods, moodswings, changes in sex drive and hot flushes to name a few.
It can be a disorienting time for many. Although this is a natural thing that happens, it can still be hard to go through it. Especially if there is a lack of conversation around it. Being able to speak openly about what you are feeling and going through can help and ease the mental toll it can take. Plus you need to have someone to laugh with when you have peed yourself in your local supermarket and sweat through your third top that day. It makes it all a bit more manageable.
Menopause
Menopause is when your periods stop all together due to lower hormone levels. You reach Menopause offically when you havn’tt had a period for 12 months*. This can happen anywhere between the ages for 45 to 55. Although it can happen early due to surgeries like a hysterectomy, or having chemo or a genetic reason. Sometimes it is not known why someone may have early onset menopause. You can check out this article ‘How To Spot The Signs Of Early Menopause’ to find out more.
*According to the NHS guidelines you can find here
What can we do?
Talk about it!! Don’t be shy and don’t treat it as a forbidden topic that is all dark and scary.
If some of your friends and family are experiencing perimenopause or the menopause, see what you can do to support them. Ask if there is anything you can do to help with their symptoms. Allow them space if they want to talk about what they are experiencing.
This article is just touching the surface of the Menopause. But hopefully it gives you a useful overview as to what it is, what it can involve and what we can do to spread the word. This continued spread of awareness helps to shed light on this under researched area and puts pressure on for better research and more funding into the subject.
What are your thoughts on the Menopause? Let us know in the comments below!
