Menopause awareness and education should start earlier in life

For many women, having uncomfortable conversations with their mothers or a health care professional about menstruation was a rite of passage. Today, there is a lot of education available for girls, but what still is lacking is education around menopause.

Mayo Clinic experts hope to change that.

Dr. Stephanie Faubion, a women’s health expert at Mayo Clinic and medical director of the North American Menopause Society, is focused on educating women about menopause and the value of having conversations long before that stage of life arrives.

By 2030, the world population of menopausal and postmenopausal women is projected to increase to 1.2 billion, with 47 million new entrants each year.

Early Discussions

“I would argue that women should be starting to have this conversation with their providers at the age of 35 or 40 — so, much earlier than one would expect, because women may start to have symptoms related to the menopause transition six to 10 years before their last menstrual period,” says Dr. Faubion.

She adds that for women in their late 30s or early 40s, this can be challenging to discern, since symptoms can vary and include subtle variations in their menstrual cycle length, as well as hot flashes, night sweats, joint aches, vaginal dryness, and mood and sleep disturbances. “This is not something they would even think might be related to the beginning of the menopause transition. It is a big surprise when they begin to experience symptoms that are the same as women who are already in menopause,” says Dr. Faubion.

“It’s important to have conversations proactively with their providers to say: ‘Help me understand what it might be like for me. What can I do about managing symptoms when they start? And what is out there in terms of technology that can be helpful in bridging that care gap that women may be experiencing?'”

It can be even more challenging for a woman to know who to connect with, as they might not have a designated menopause expert.

Where to start

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