Silent Struggles: Unraveling the Challenges of Menopause
It disrupts careers, social lives, physical wellbeing, and our mental health, yet has been largely ignored because, well, it doesn’t happen to men.
Menopause has been a natural part of female aging for the entirety of humanity, but for most of our existence it has been a mystery. Up until just a few decades ago, it was a taboo subject, relatively cast off by the medical community as merely the end of fertility. The symptoms and issues it caused were disregarded as mere inconveniences and not much attention was paid to it… until now.
For my male readers and maybe some of you girls that don’t know much about it, menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a woman's menstrual cycles and reproductive years. It is diagnosed after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period and typically occurs in women in their late 40s to early 50s, although the exact age can vary. Symptoms can vary greatly from hot flashes to weight gain. There are 3 defined stages of menopause, starting with perimenopause, the transitional phase leading up to menopause. During this phase women may start to experience some of the early symptoms such as irregular periods due to their fluctuating hormone levels. The second phase is menopause, which will be determined when a woman hasn’t had a period in a year. Then we enter the postmenopausal stage where symptoms can persist but begin to taper off. During this time, symptoms like hot flashes may start to ease, but health risks associated with decreased estrogen levels such as osteoporosis, may increase. From the first symptoms to the last, it is typically around 7 years long but can last up to 14. The average age for women in the US is 51 but perimenopause symptoms can begin as early as 30.
Menopause has been dubbed the curse of getting older for women. Accompanied by night sweats, hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mood changes, vaginal dryness, decreased libido, weight gain, slowed metabolism, brain fog, and more, it can drastically impact your ability to perform at work, show up in relationships, and even conduct day to day tasks. All of these terrible symptoms are caused by the natural decline of reproductive hormones because as women age, their ovaries produce less estrogen and progesterone, the hormones that regulate menstruation. This is why menopause can also happen at an early age if a woman has her ovaries removed. Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation can also induce menopause. There is also a condition called primary ovarian insufficiency where the ovaries fail to produce normal levels of these hormones, which can cause menopause symptoms.
The multitude of symptoms, lack of support, and timing of when it affects women creates a perfect storm that has historically hindered many women in the workforce. If you think about the age at which women start to experience these symptoms, it often coincides with when women are at the peak of their career, likely being promoted or getting c-suite level jobs, but still working demanding hours and often balancing a bustling family life with kids and partners, as well as beginning to take care of aging parents. Simply put, it’s the worst time for women to encounter another obstacle in life. Beyond the individual impacts to women, a Mayo Clinic study estimates that menopause costs the U.S. economy $1.8 billion annually due to women missing work due to symptoms, (plus another $24.8 billion annually in direct medical expenses). Menopause can negatively impact a women’s career progression through lost productivity due to missed days and impairment of their ability to work effectively due to symptoms. A survey by the Menopause Foundations of Canada reported that 1 in 3 working women report menopause symptoms negatively affecting their work performance and more than two thirds of women do not feel comfortable speaking to their supervisor or HR about these experiences.
As we’ve seen recently, many companies are beginning to offer resources for women targeting menopause symptoms treatment in order to retain high level talent and help support women through this time. Even just opening up the conversation and removing the stigma around menopause can help women tremendously in the workplace. Sometimes it’s as simple as making the office cooler to combat hot flashes. Offering menopause benefits can be a huge given it is estimated women spend over $13 billion annually on treating their menopause symptoms, with over $10 billion in nonmedical treatments, over $4.5 billion on copays, and over $2.7 billion on hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
In the past, there has been little that was offered to treat the symptoms of menopause and it was largely ignored by the medical community. Beginning in the 21st century, driven largely by pop culture, social media, and an emphasis on broader women’s health, menopause has become a huge topic of conversation leading to the development of multiple menopause care platforms, increased accessibility of treatments, and a better understanding of the factors that impact symptoms such as diet and exercise. Platforms like Midi and Elektra Health have combined education, care, and community to offer women a place to turn for menopause care. Treatments such as HRT, wearable companies like Amira and Embr Labs, and diagnostic tests from Oova, Clearblue, supplements from Thorne and other innovations have helped women tackle menopause with more resources and information than ever before. Medical practitioners are also better versed in treating menopause through recommending lifestyle changes, alternative therapies like acupuncture, and prescribing medications to alleviate some of the more severe symptoms.
I could probably write a short novel with all things menopause related, but I’ll save you the time and end it here (for now). Although I have yet to experience it myself, menopause and its effect on my career, personal life, and physical health are all things I have already begun to think about at the ripe age of 26. It’s something all women will have to think about eventually, but the good news for us who are still a few decades away from it, is that there has been a huge push from investors, educators, healthcare providers, and employers to invest in things that can make this stage of life easier for women. I am optimistic about the development of the space and hope this high level overview helped to frame the narrative around menopause and what women are facing in today’s world.
Menopause is a natural part of aging and can vary greatly in terms of symptoms and age of onset. It's important for women experiencing menopause to work with their healthcare providers to manage symptoms and address any health concerns.