Tag: World Menopause Day

1 in 10 men think the menopause has no symptoms

Statement-making menopause board game launched to break the stigma

  • Intimate wellness brand INTIMINA has released Menopause: The Board Game, using play to raise awareness of the 40+ symptoms of the menopause
  • The game follows a study pointing to a clear lack of knowledge about the menopause – with one in 10 adults not knowing what the menopause entails
  • 13% of men think the menopause has no symptoms at all
  • INTIMINA has partnered with menopause wellbeing organisation, PositivePause to use the board game in workplace menopause training sessions
  • A limited initial batch will also be available directly. To register interest, email intimina@thisicow.com 

Forget about solving ‘whodunnit’ in the billiard room or playing at being a property tycoon. This year’s must-play – and possibly most important – board game is all about the menopause. That’s right, for the first time, the more than 40 symptoms of menopause have become the basis of a unique and thought-provoking board game. 

Menopause: The Board Game is launching to coincide with World Menopause Day (18th October) and was created by intimate wellness brand INTIMINA alongside gynaecology specialist GP Dr Susanna Unsworth to raise much-needed awareness of the menopause and tackle the taboo that surrounds it.

Appropriate for all ages, the board game will see players race from start to finish answering questions about the menopause along the way. Using uterus-shaped tokens, players will take it in turns to move across the game board – which resembles the changes in oestrogen levels during the menopause. Question cards will quiz players on the many and varied symptoms, with answers and explanations to help people learn as they play.

The board game comes as new research reveals more than one in 10 (12%) adults say they aren’t confident they know what the menopause is. This figure jumps to almost a fifth (17%) when looking specifically at men. What’s more, more than a third (34%) of people asked said they were unsure they knew what perimenopause is or what it entails.

INTIMINA’s research also showed the number of symptoms associated with the menopause is vastly underestimated. On average, respondents said there were 11 symptoms of the menopause, but the reality is there are more than 40. Worryingly, more than one in 10 (13%) men polled didn’t know the menopause had any symptoms at all. 

The startling lack of knowledge about the menopause is also behind a quarter (25%) of those surveyed believing that people are actually given medication to dissolve unused eggs once menopausal. One in seven (14%) also think you can’t have sex whilst going through the menopause. 

It is well-documented that people experiencing menopause need more support in the workplace. And over two thirds (68%) of those surveyed by INTIMINA agree that people should receive menopause sensitivity and awareness training at work.

With this in mind, INTIMINA has partnered, on the launch of its board game, with Positive Pause who provide no-nonsense information on their free to access menopause platform and deliver dynamic, online workplace training sessions. PositivePause will be using Menopause: The Board Game in upcoming training sessions and events. 

Justine Pescher, spokesperson for INTIMINA comments: “The menopause is something that affects around half the population, yet there isn’t enough education and open dialogue surrounding it which leads to misinformation and a lack of sensitivity for those going through it.

“Our research showed only 13% are taught about it at school and it’s widely agreed that it should be a topic discussed as part of workplace training. That’s why we’ve crated Menopause: The Board Game, a game that not only teaches players about the menopause but also encourages conversations in normal, everyday settings.”

Gynaecology Specialist for INTIMINA, Dr Susanna Unsworth, adds: “It’s clear there is a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to the menopause and its symptoms, amongst both men and women.

“I’m delighted that INTIMINA created Menopause: The Board Game as a tool to raise awareness and knowledge about a staggeringly overlooked and misunderstood process. I look forward to seeing it kick-start conversations this World Menopause Day and beyond.”

Ann Stephens, co-founder of PositivePause says: “All women and some members of the trans and non-binary community are guaranteed to go through menopause yet most lack basic awareness of the signs and symptoms.

“Many fail to join the dots as they begin to experience the impact of fluctuating hormones in perimenopause. Opening up the conversation brings menopause out of the shadows. By normalising what is all too often perceived as a negative process, it can be turned into a positive.

“The better informed we all are, the better it is for everyone, benefiting women’s health, relationships, and employment. As we like to say, ‘menopause is not about the time of the month, it’s about having the time of your life!’. 

“Menopause: The Board Game is a genius concept for getting the topic of menopause into the workplace, making it positive, interactive, educational and a lot less scary.”

INTIMINA is also offering 15% off its Kegel exerciser, KegelSmart for Menopause Week (from 17th October to 23rd October). Hormonal changes during the menopause can impact pelvic floor, and Kegel exercises can help strengthen it, leading to improved bladder control, vaginal tightness, and sexual sensations.

In addition to board games distributed to PositivePause, a limited initial batch will be available from INTIMINA. To register interest please email intimina@thisiscow.com 

NHS 24 launches new resources on the menopause

To mark World Menopause Day tomorrow (18th October), NHS 24 has launched new resources on the menopause on NHS Inform, Scotland’s trusted health information site.

Working in partnership with Scottish Government, the resources support the ambitions laid out in the Women’s Health Plan and include information about what to expect whether you’re going through the menopause or want to support someone with symptoms.

https://youtu.be/ddzdgEUOGlk

Women’s Health Minister Maree Todd said: “Women have told us, and evidence shows, that when they are well informed about the menopause, and know what to expect, their experience can be more positive. Knowledge, information and myth busting is powerful.

“I am pleased to see this comprehensive menopause platform on NHS Inform, a key deliverable from our recently published Women’s Health Plan.

“We want to ensure that anyone experiencing menopause has the care and support that they need, and this platform is an important step in achieving that aim.”

Dr Laura Ryan, Medical Director at NHS 24, said: “Menopause can affect everyone differently, and many of us are still unfamiliar with the common symptoms, how these might present, and what to expect if you or someone you know is going through ‘the change’.

“World Menopause Day aims to raise awareness of these and the support options available for improving health and wellbeing.  Our new resources on NHS Inform are clinically assured and contain lots of information on signs of menopause, potential treatments, managing your wellbeing, and supporting others through their own symptoms.

“The resources also include ways to manage symptoms with some self-care, and what to do if you feel concerned that your experiences are unusual.

“Sometimes the menopause can have impacts on lots of aspects of life including self-esteem and mental health. These resources are a great way to feel knowledgeable about the experience and empowered in taking any next steps.”

Visit NHSinform.scot for updated information, including a range of videos aimed at dispelling common myths about the menopause.

World Menopause Day: how lifestyle changes can help

This World Menopause Day (18th October), Pharmacy2U wanted to share information and expert comment around the common symptoms and physiological changes that occur during this transition and how lifestyle choices can make the changes more manageable.  

Going through the menopause can be one of the most difficult parts of life for many women. The menopause is a natural part of ageing that typically happens to a woman when she is between 45 and 55 years of age, with the average age in the UK being 51. It’s important to remember that whilst many symptoms are the same in every woman that goes through this transition, the experience and severity vary from woman to woman. 

During the menopausal transition, the body’s production of oestrogen and progesterone, the two hormones made by the ovaries, varies greatly. Bones become less dense, making women more vulnerable to fractures.

During this period, too, the body begins to change how it uses its energy, fat cells change and women may gain weight easier than they normally would. As hormone levels drop, a succession of not only physical changes, but also emotional changes then follow.

There are several common symptoms that may help women understand if they are going through the menopause, including; 

  • Night sweats
  • Anxiety
  • Hot flushes
  • Vaginal dryness
  • Joint pain
  • Low mood

Although there is no ‘cure’ or medication to prevent this happening, there are certain lifestyle changes that can be made to make going through this transition as bearable as possible:

  • Staying clear of foods that cause hot flushes – coffee, tea, alcohol and spicy foods
  • Participating in regular exercise to relieve stress which can trigger the release of endorphins and aid in the balancing of hormones
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – medication that contains hormones that a woman’s body stops producing after menopause
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – a type of talking therapy that can help with anxiety and low moods

It’s recommended that you talk to your GP if you are presenting with the symptoms listed and they’re causing you discomfort, or if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms and you’re below 45 years of age. Your GP can then usually confirm whether you are going through the menopause based on your symptoms, or through a blood test. 

Phil Day, Superintendent Pharmacist at Pharmacy2U, commented: “The menopause is a natural process, however for some women it can cause a lot of discomfort and disruption to their everyday life.

“A greater awareness of this, and of the many ways the symptoms can be identified and managed, can only be a good thing; and World Menopause Day aims to start that conversation. Lifestyle changes, and approaches such as HRT, can go a long way to restoring normality in many cases.

“HRT replaces the hormones oestrogen and progestogen, or just oestrogen for most women without a uterus, and it can be given in many different ways including tablets, patches, or vaginal creams or pessaries. Your pharmacist and GP are on hand to give advice.”

https://youtu.be/qdMNAf19qcc

Understanding the Male Menopause and Mental Health
https://www.optimale.co.uk/male-menopause-mental-health-guide/