Redefining Menopause: My Conversation with Experts Inspiring More than a Moment
Yesmean Wahdan, MD, VP, U.S. Medical Affairs, Bayer Women’s Healthcare, and Candace Montgomery, EVP of Atlantic Live, co-hosted an intimate conversation convening healthcare providers, advocates, and leaders in the women’s health space to discuss important topics related to menopause.
Menopause is an inevitable moment in every woman's life. As I often like to say, "There are very few guarantees in life: Taxes, death, and menopause." Yet, despite this universal experience, our healthcare system frequently fails to address the complexities of women’s health adequately,1 with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) only allocating 11 percent of its budget to women’s health-specific research.2
With over 2 million women in the U.S. entering menopause each year,3 how can we help ensure that this important stage of life receives thoughtful care, planning and unincumbered access to healthcare?
To answer this question, I had the pleasure of co-hosting an event alongside Candace Montgomery, EVP of Atlantic LIVE, where we sat down with an intimate group of healthcare professionals, women’s health advocates and menopause experts to gather their perspectives on the current cultural moment menopause is having in America. Together, we discussed how now is the time to turn this moment into a movement4 and keep menopause in the conversation – from pop culture to research and care.
An essential area for discussion was the stigma associated with menopause that has kept so many women from speaking out about it, while quietly managing the daily, personal, health and professional impact it may have.5 Our experts pointed to barriers women have faced historically, potentially leading to this sometimes silent acceptance. Some shared experiences where they were made to feel that menopause was too taboo to speak of.6 Others explained how resources were out of reach. From how these women were speaking, and between these biases, social stigmas and inequitable healthcare access, it seems as though menopause care and symptom validation can sometimes feel like a never-ending battle.
One of the many thought-provoking conversations I had was with Dr. Jill Liss, MD, an OBGYN specializing in menopause, whose work also focuses on transgender care and gynecologic curriculum development for medical students and residents. She called out how things have changed, noting that “historically, women were told that menopause was no big deal, and they could accept that answer. Now they don't. There's this patient-driven movement to make ourselves better, and to drive forward new curriculums and all sorts of new policy positions.”
However, Dr. Liss wasn’t the only one who felt inspired by this movement. Throughout the discussion, experts conveyed a sense of optimism that our current momentum can lead to significant improvements in care, education and overall support for women experiencing symptoms due to menopause. We discussed how the recent wave of celebrities, politicians and media openly discussing menopause is helping to destigmatize the topic8 and potentially influencing women to be more proactive about their health. I do agree that this has helped bring menopause to the forefront of conversations about women’s health, but this is just the start; so much more must be done.
Fostering community to drive forward these efforts is essential and Dr. Joy Cooper, OBGYN and co-founder and CEO of Culture Care, a telemedicine startup for Black women that provides care and second opinions by Black doctors, wanted us to rethink how we communicate in order to effect change. “Helping women address menopausal symptoms earlier may have the potential to impact their quality of life.”
This is a critical perspective – as no menopause experience is the same. And for Black women, some menopause symptoms have been proven to be more severe and begin earlier in life – 8.5 months earlier than white women (52.17 years vs 52.88 years, respectively).8
Everyone in the room agreed that some menopausal symptoms are a clinical, treatable - if one chooses - condition, and doesn’t have to be a rite of passage that doesn’t have to be tolerated or hidden. The insights we shared underscore the urgent need for greater clinical recognition, research and improved policies that acknowledge and adapt to the needs of women experiencing menopause. Only through these concerted efforts can we hope to see an end to disparities in menopause care and ensure that all women can navigate this phase of life with dignity and support.
This conversation gave me hope and made me truly feel that this menopause “moment” is in fact the beginning of a transformative movement.
References
1. Ellingrud, Kweilin, et al. “Closing the Women’s Health Gap: A $1 Trillion Opportunity to Improve Lives and Economies.” McKinsey & Company, McKinsey & Company, 17 Jan. 2024, www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/closing-the-womens-health-gap-a-1-trillion-dollar-opportunity-to-improve-lives-and-economies.
2. Temkin, Sarah M, et al. “Perspectives from Advancing National Institutes of Health Research to Inform and Improve the Health of Women: A Conference Summary.” Obstetrics and Gynecology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 July 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9205296/#:~:text=6-,Research%20on%20Women’s%20Health,year%202020%20(%244%2C466%20million).
3. Mayo Clinic Health System staff. “Pausing to Learn More about Menopause.” Mayo Clinic Health System, Mayo Clinic Health System, 22 Dec. 2023, www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/too-embarrassed-to-ask-part-3.
4. The Atlantic. “Menopause Is More than a Moment.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/bayer-2024/menopause-is-more-than-a-moment/3918/?preview=1. Accessed 23 Sept. 2024.
5. Barber, Katie, and Alexandra Charles. “Barriers to Accessing Effective Treatment and Support for Menopausal Symptoms: A Qualitative Study Capturing the Behaviours, Beliefs and Experiences of Key Stakeholders.” Patient Preference and Adherence, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 15 Nov. 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10657761/.
6. Barber, Katie, and Alexandra Charles. “Barriers to Accessing Effective Treatment and Support for Menopausal Symptoms: A Qualitative Study Capturing the Behaviours, Beliefs and Experiences of Key Stakeholders.” Patient Preference and Adherence, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 15 Nov. 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10657761/.
7. Gardner, Sophie. “Menopause Is Coming out of the Closet - Politico.” Menopause Is Coming out of the Closet, June 2023, www.politico.com/newsletters/women-rule/2023/06/02/menopause-is-coming-out-of-the-closet-00099880.
8. Harlow, Siobán D, et al. “Disparities in Reproductive Aging and Midlife Health between Black and White Women: The Study of Women’s Health Across The Nation (Swan).” Women’s Midlife Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8 Feb. 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8822825/.