Opinion | We Need A Menopause Revolution

We need a menopause revolution in this country. “Let’s talk about menopause.” “Menopause.” “What is menopause?” Every single day, a woman steps into a doctor’s office talking about her symptoms, whether it’s aching joints —— “Your joints ache like you’ve aged 30 years.” chronic insomnia —— “If you’re like me, I cannot fall asleep most nights.” or a heart racing. “My heart is flipping.” So often women are saying that their doctor dismissed their symptoms. “If you’ve gone to your doctor with your symptoms and been told ‘Oh, it’s just aging.’” “He goes, ‘Well, maybe it’s just stress.’” So many women are going into providers who don’t have the right information, “Women were categorically excluded from medical research in this country until 1993.” I was shocked to learn that only one-third of OB-GYNs are trained on menopause when they’re getting their medical training. I met a doctor who said she only had one lecture and she was an OB-GYN. One lecture on menopause. “Doctors are not taught. Even OB-GYNs are not taught.” This can lead to not only daily issues but lifelong issues for women, whereas the converse can be true. The right care at the right time can make all the difference for a woman. I think women deserve better care so that anywhere they touch the health system and they’re going in with symptoms, they’re heard and seen and given the right information.