What Is World Menopause Day?
World Menopause Day is held annually on 18th October as part of Menopause Awareness Month. This global initiative raises awareness of menopause symptoms, tackles stigma, and promotes support for improving health and wellbeing during this life transition. Recognising this day fosters understanding and empowers individuals to seek the help they need.
The theme for World Menopause Day 2024 is Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT), also known as Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) in the UK. The International Menopause Society (IMS) aims to provide clarity on MHT, covering its benefits, risks, and prescribing practices. By doing so, they hope to inform and empower individuals navigating menopause.
| World Menopause Day 2024 | Theme: Menopause Hormone Therapy |
| World Menopause Day 2023 | Theme: Cardiovascular Disease |
| World Menopause Day 2022 | Theme: Cognition and Mood |
| World Menopause Day 2021 | Theme: Bone Health |
Why Do We Celebrate World Menopause Day?
Understanding Menopause and Raising Awareness
World Menopause Day, established in 2009 by the International Menopause Society (IMS) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasises the need to understand menopause and its physical and mental impacts. It promotes open conversations, helping to remove taboos and encourage individuals to access appropriate support.
Breaking the Stigma Around Menopause
Menopause is a natural phase that signals the end of reproductive years, often accompanied by significant changes to physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Despite this, it remains a topic many find difficult to discuss. Recognising World Menopause Day allows us to normalise these conversations and ensure that individuals feel seen, heard, and supported.
Key Objectives of World Menopause Day:
For people with female reproductive systems, menopause is inevitable. However, it’s not always fully understood what exactly menopause entails. This means many women may experience symptoms they don’t know are menopause related, preventing them from accessing the right treatment or support and increasing the risk of long term consequences of the menopause, such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. World Menopause Day, and Menopause Awareness Month, is an opportunity to provide much needed education to promote a better understanding of the symptoms and what treatments are available.
- Improve workplace policies: Many workplaces lack menopause support. Inclusive policies—such as flexible working hours and temperature control—help individuals navigate menopause without compromising their careers.
- Increase awareness of menopause: Menopause can have profound effects on daily life. Symptoms such as hot flushes, mood swings, and sleep disturbances can be severe. Raising awareness ensures individuals know they are not alone and can seek help when needed.
- Educate the public: Many people do not fully understand menopause. This lack of knowledge prevents individuals from recognising symptoms or accessing the right support. World Menopause Day provides an opportunity to promote education and reduce health risks like cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
- Promote menopause support: In many countries the world over, awareness and access to menopause services is a significant challenge, leaving a lot of people to suffer in silence. Not all health care providers are trained in recognising perimenopausal or postmenopausal symptoms, and health policies and funding for menopause treatment can be lacking. World Menopause Day aims to shed more light on menopause support so the right treatments can be accessed at the right time.
Common Symptoms of Menopause
Recognising Symptoms and Seeking Support
Approximately 85% of women experience menopause symptoms, ranging from mild to severe. These typically begin during perimenopause, the stage before menstruation ends completely. Understanding these symptoms can help individuals seek timely support.
Being aware of what to expect and recognising the signs can help women address them effectively with the right support.
Key Symptoms Include:
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Menstrual Cycle Changes | The first sign is usually (but not always) a change to menstrual cycle patterns, becoming irregular before stopping completely. Heavy bleeding and uncomfortable cramping can also indicate menopause. |
| Vasomotor Symptoms | Sudden episodes of intense heat, causing sweating and facial flushing. Commonly known as hot flushes or night sweats, depending on the time of day. Around 70% of menopausal people experience these symptoms, which can be uncomfortable, disruptive, and sometimes embarrassing, affecting their quality of life. |
| Sleep Disturbances | Insomnia is the inability to sleep through the night or return to sleep when woken, causing extreme tiredness and irritability. Sleep apnea reduces airflow, causing snoring, or in severe cases, complete periodic stoppage of breathing. |
| Psychological Symptoms | Hormonal fluctuations during menopause can cause mood swings, anxiety, and depression. Emotions may be heightened or dysregulated, and overall mental wellbeing can change. Some people also experience cognitive issues such as memory loss or brain fog. |
| Physical Symptoms | Weight gain, particularly around the abdomen, and changes in hair and skin are common during menopause. These physical changes can impact self-confidence and body image, potentially affecting mental health. |
| Urogenital Symptoms | Vaginal dryness can cause discomfort and pain during intercourse. Increased frequency and urgency of urination may occur, leading to urinary incontinence or UTIs. These symptoms can impact intimate relationships, cause embarrassment, and negatively affect confidence and mental health. |
Menopause in the UK: Facts and Stats
In the UK, there are 13 million women currently either peri or postmenopausal. This is a third of the entire UK female population.
It’s reported 33% suffer from anxiety or depression due to this significant life change, but it’s likely many are trying to navigate menopause on their own. This is why World Menopause Day is a crucial date in our national calendar, so we can change the narrative and create a supportive, inclusive society for those going through menopause.
- The average age for a woman in the UK to reach menopause is 51.
- Approximately 1 in 100 people reach menopause before the age of 40, known as premature menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency.
- 25% of people are said to experience debilitating symptoms.
- 8 out 10 menopausal people are in work, yet only 25-26% of workplaces offer menopause support such as flexible working, home working, or temperature control.
- 3 out of 5 women aged 45-55 said menopause symptoms had a negative affect on their work.
- 3.5 million people have considered quitting their job over menopause and menstrual health symptoms.
- By 2030, the world population of menopausal and postmenopausal women is projected to increase to 1.2 billion.
Menopause isn’t going to go away. It’s a natural, biological process for those with female reproductive systems that can be life changing and debilitating. Raising awareness on World Menopause Day is the first step in better understanding how to provide support and ensure people don’t suffer alone.
The Impact of Menopause on Relationships and Careers
Supporting Personal Relationships
The physical, psychological and cognitive changes brought on by menopause can significantly impact a person’s personal relationships and professional life. It’s important women have a supportive network to help them navigate this phase with more ease and confidence.
Personal relationships can suffer in a number of ways. Hormonal imbalances can cause mood swings and emotional dysregulation, putting a strain on romantic partnerships. Partners may also feel confused or helpless, not knowing how best to support their loved one. Intimacy issues can also arise due to vaginal dryness and pain during sex, or a decreased libido.
Those going through menopause are experiencing significant physical and mental changes that take a toll on all aspects of their life. They need an empathetic and supportive partner now more than ever. Taking the time to understand menopause and what it does to a person’s mind and body, as well as honest communication, is key to maintaining healthy relationships during this period of change.
Creating Inclusive Workplaces
Menopause also has a profound impact on the workplace, which not only affects a woman’s performance and job satisfaction, but it could also lead to financial issues. It’s estimated that 6 million women in the UK are currently experiencing menopause symptoms while employed, but 14% move onto part-time hours, while 10% quit their job entirely. This impacts their income, their lifestyle, and could potentially be detrimental to their families.
However, it’s not hard to see why so many people struggle to maintain their professional career while going through menopause. Hot flashes, night sweats, disruptive sleep patterns and poor mental health can make it extremely difficult to be productive and focus at work. Studies have shown that irritability and mood swings were found to have the worst impact on job performance in older female employees.
This, combined with the fact so many organisations don’t have menopause support policies in place, means these challenges are often exacerbated, leading to increased stress and anxiety.
35% of those going through menopause will take time off due to their symptoms, and 17% feel menopause negatively impacts their career progression opportunities. It’s crucial for employers to create a supportive, compassionate environment at work, enabling employees to thrive while also boosting productivity, reducing absence rates, and retaining talent.
Implementing menopause support policies such as flexible working, working from home, temperature control, and providing training to managers, can allow women to work through their menopause without sacrificing their career.
8 Ways to Support Someone Going Through Menopause
Dealing with all the changes of menopause can be difficult and confusing, leaving many women feeling lonely and misunderstood. Empathy, understanding, and practical assistance are key to supporting a loved one or colleague going through menopause. Here are seven ways to provide that support on World Menopause Day and beyond.
1. Have open conversations
If you’re going through menopause, don’t be afraid to reach out to a loved one, colleague, or health care practitioner. The more people are aware, the more they can help. If you know someone going through menopause, let them know you’re there for them if they want to talk. Sometimes, just having an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on can make all the difference and relieve them of their emotional weight.
2. Get educated
Learn more about the science behind menopause, the symptoms, and how it affects a person’s life. Understanding someone else’s lived experience can help you provide more effective support that’s specific to them. You don’t need to be an expert, but knowledge is power in these situations.
3. Suggest professional help
Consulting a healthcare professional to discuss symptoms could lead to exploring different treatment options. This could be HRT, lifestyle changes, or seeking out therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to talk through their struggles with mental health.
4. Encourage healthy choices
Leading an active, healthy life can help alleviate some menopause symptoms. This involves a healthy diet, regular exercise, cutting down on alcohol, and quitting smoking. Encourage your loved one to go on regular, weekly walks, or start a new class together such as yoga or swimming. If the way you socialise normally involves the pub, you could swap this out for cooking healthy meals together instead.
5. Improve the workplace environment
If you’re an employer or manager, you should look at offering adjustments in the workplace that’ll make menopausal people more comfortable. This includes temperature control, providing fans, and offering a relaxing space to retreat to if they’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Companies could also host a Menopause Cafe during World Menopause Day to invite colleagues to share their experiences and create an inclusive workplace that’s free of judgement.
6. Be patient and understanding
Menopause is a challenging time, both physically and emotionally. Symptoms are wide and varied, with over 30 recognised menopause symptoms. If your partner, friend, or colleague is going through menopause, try not to minimise their experiences or offer unsolicited advice. Patience and understanding will go a long way.
7. Be open about sexual wellbeing
It can be a taboo subject, but menopause can have a detrimental effect on a person’s sex life. Vaginal dryness and discomfort during intercourse, a reduced sex drive, and fatigue due to night sweats and sleep issues can make intimacy a challenge. Signpost your partner to treatment options or over-the-counter lubricants to help make sex more enjoyable, or openly talk to them about their feelings and other ways to seek pleasure. Make sure to not pressure them into anything they don’t want to do, and show your love by comforting them and being there for them in their times of need.
8. Offer practical help
Menopause symptoms can make daily activities overwhelming, so help them stay on top of their responsibilities by offering practical support. This could be running errands, cooking meals, or just keeping them company during stressful moments.
Menopause Resources
- International Menopause Society (IMS) works globally to promote and support access to best practice health care for women through their menopause.
- The Menopause Charity is dedicated to raising awareness of menopause and offers lots of education, support, and advice surrounding menopause.
- Menopause Support UK not for profit community providing resources, support, and advice about menopause.
- The British Menopause Society (BMS) is the specialist authority for menopause and post reproductive health in the UK, providing resources, publications and the latest menopause news.
- The NHS has menopause information and advice. Some NHS Trusts and private sector companies will offer digital health solutions for menopause, such as Anya. We provide personalised support and easy access to experts to help people going through menopause feel supported 24/7.
By continuing to talk about menopause, we create a world where everyone feels supported during this significant life transition. World Menopause Day reminds us of the importance of understanding menopause and ensuring no one faces it alone. Discover how Anya offers 24/7 personalised support to help individuals navigate menopause with confidence.
