Yesterday, an influential gathering was hosted by Carolyn Harris MP and University College London at the House of Commons to spotlight the urgent need for comprehensive menopause education and support in the UK. This event, co-hosted by Carolyn and Professor Dame Lesley Regan, featured discussions led by experts from UCL, Wellbeing of Women, the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the British Menopause Society, and the Sophia Forum.
During this significant event, UCL proudly unveiled the name of our forthcoming initiative: “In Tune.” This programme aims to ensure women are in tune with their menopause, their bodies, and each other, fostering a supportive community.
Carolyn opened the discussion by emphasizing the widespread lack of awareness about menopause, which leaves many women unprepared for this natural life stage. Following this, Lesley Regan provided an insightful update on the Women’s Health Strategy, focusing on the life course approach of women’s health.
Our team from UCL presented compelling research findings indicating a severe gap in menopause awareness. Through engaging over 7,000 women in surveys and focus groups, fewer than 5% reported feeling very informed about menopause, with more than half feeling not informed at all. Most women only sought information after experiencing symptoms, often significantly delayed, leading many to approach this life stage with dread rather than acceptance.
Dr. Shema Tariq, co-lead of the UCL project, discussed the impactful findings from the NIHR-funded PRIME Study, which investigated the effects of menopause on women with HIV. The study highlighted the lack of support and health literacy among this group, which led to the development of a pioneering education and peer support program tailored for women aging with HIV. This initiative emphasizes community-driven support and empowerment.
Inspired by these findings, the UCL team are driven to develop a non-commercial, holistic support and education programme about menopause, co-designed with stakeholders and the public. Our programme will focus on diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, recognizing the unique experiences everyone has with menopause.
To implement this vision, we’ve established partnerships with Wellbeing of Women and Sophia Forum, and we have the support of the British Menopause Society, and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. An advisory committee has also been formed to guide the programme’s development as critical friends.
In October 2023, we conducted our first workshop with key stakeholders and have planned another for July this year. We’ve run a survey and are currently conducting focus groups with a variety of people including those who are racially minoritized, LGBTQ+ communities, individuals with neurodiversity and those who have experienced early or surgical menopause, or menopause following cancer treatment.
Our plan includes developing a suite of offerings tailored to meet diverse needs. Our first programme, “Be Prepared for Menopause,” is a 60-90 minute interactive event focusing on the basics of menopause, scheduled for testing in Summer 2024. Additionally, we’re developing a more comprehensive programme for those in perimenopause or beyond, offering deeper support and education.
This collaborative project will engage facilitators from various backgrounds to help design and implement the programme.
At the House of Commons event, Janet Lindsay, the CEO of Wellbeing of Women, talked about how their work is in total alignment with the UCL project. They work on changing the lives of women, girls and babies through research, education and advocacy.
Geeta Kumar, RCOG Vice President (Clinical Quality), talked about the work of the RCOG who are providing education to the public as well as clinicians.
Juddy Otti explained how the Sophia Forum has worked with Shema to develop education and support for women living with HIV and going through menopause. They run the GROWS project – growing older, wiser and stronger.
And finally Melanie Davis and Haitham Hamoda discussed how the British Menopause Society is training health professionals. They have a new system coming into effect this year which is more stream lined for GPs to get basic training about menopause whilst they also offer more advanced training for menopause specialists. This is terrific news as so many women feel let down by the NHS.
With brilliant questions from our distinguished audience – including why are women going to their yoga teacher or their local shop to ask for menopause advice, how are we going to engage women to attend the course, how we engage GPs, how it will be promoted, how it will be adapted for various groups and how we engage men, this event was ground breaking in opening the discussions around menopause education and support.
Everyone who attended has a commitment to empower individuals through knowledge and community support, making menopause a transition to approach with confidence rather than uncertainty. Join us in this transformative journey as we aim to ensure that everyone can be “In Tune” with their menopause experience.
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