The menopause transition (perimenopause) is a naturally occurring life stage in which a woman’s menstrual cycles eventually come to an end. As estrogen levels fluctuate during perimenopause, women may experience symptoms, such hot flashes, brain fog, genitourinary issues, night sweats, and mood changes. An estimated 1.3 million women enter menopause each year in the United States, but many women still face stigma around the transition and can feel discouraged to talk about it with friends, family, and even their health care providers.
The menopause transition can affect all aspects of a woman’s life – from workplace productivity and mental health to caregiving responsibilities and social activities. Each menopause journey is different — starting at different times, sometimes for different reasons, and may include a variation of symptoms and personalized wellness routines — but knowing what to expect and sharing each new menopause story can help women feel empowered to advocate for their best health experience. Read about Sara’s journey with menopause here.
Understanding the menopause transition and being prepared for its symptoms and stages can make a significant difference for women, helping them live well through their midlife years and have a positive midlife experience. To improve health outcomes, address care gaps, and destigmatize menopause and its related impacts, the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) developed a menopause toolkit.
Menopause Preparedness Toolkit: A Woman’s Empowerment Guide was created to support women through the menopause transition and prepare them for conversations with physicians, families, and friends. It includes background information on menopause, options for managing symptoms, and women’s health worksheets. Sections of the toolkit include:
- Reproductive Aging and Midlife
- Understanding Menopause
- Preparing for a Healthier Midlife
- Managing Your Menopause Care
- Wellness Tips for Menopause
The toolkit also includes a Menopause Care Journal to help women collect and share a more complete picture of their health journey with providers, and a Monthly Goals Worksheet to help women maintain healthy routines throughout and beyond their menopause transition. Check out this SWHR webinar to learn more about menopause and this empowerment toolkit: Menopause Mindfulness: A Personal Toolkit for Menopause Preparedness.
Download The SWHR Menopause Toolkit
This toolkit is a project of SWHR’s Menopause Program, established to address barriers to care and reduce health disparities related to the menopause transition. The program engages women’s health care providers and researchers, patients and patient advocates, and health care decision-makers around the importance of understanding menopause and midlife care for women and promotes science-based health care policies and education to improve outcomes. SWHR has a menopause webinar series called Menopause Mindfulness that explores the menopause journey from the perspective of women and clinicians. Check out recent events like Menopause Mindfulness: Embracing the Change of My Midlife, and stay tuned for additional events throughout the year.
SWHR’s Menopause Program is supported by educational sponsorships from Astellas Pharma and Pfizer. SWHR maintains editorial control and independence over educational content.