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Experts are launching the UK’s first menopause education program to help women understand the changes their bodies are going through.
Research shows that more than 90 percent of women never learned about menopause in school, while nearly two-thirds only started looking for information when they started experiencing symptoms.
A campaign launched by the Daily Mail last year called for more women to be aware of treatment options.
Now a team from University College London (UCL), with the support of the Wellbeing of Women and Sophia Forum charities, is designing a course to do just that.
Called the National Menopause Education and Support Program, course participants will receive up-to-date and evidence-based menopause education from trained healthcare professionals.
Research shows that more than 90 percent of women have never been taught about menopause in school
It will be led by Professor Joyce Harper, Dr Shema Tariq and Dr Nicky Keay, and has the support of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the British Menopause Society.
‘Research has shown that women are currently poorly educated about menopause and often go into it without understanding what to expect,’ said Professor Harper.
“Some menopausal symptoms can cause psychological problems and women can mistake their symptoms for mental health problems or other causes of concern, and this can have a negative effect on their well-being.
“We want to make sure all women get the information they need to best manage the changes they experience in this area of ??their lives.”
The team said they will keep the price of the program low so that it is accessible to everyone, and will work with companies to offer the course to employees.
A campaign launched by the Daily Mail last year called for more women to be aware of treatment options
Janet Lindsay, CEO of Wellbeing of Women, said: ‘We are delighted to be part of this exciting new project to improve menopause education, and we welcome the research approach of co-designing with the voices of affected women.
‘Every woman deserves access to high-quality information and support during menopause, but as research by Professor Harper shows, too many women have not received the knowledge they so desperately need and deserve.
“We hope this work will enable a generation of women to understand the changes in their bodies during menopause and access help to manage their symptoms.”
Development of the program will begin at UCL in September.