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Menopause Mindfulness: A Personal Toolkit for Menopause Preparedness
July 14, 2022 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EDT
Approximately 1.3 million women in the United States transition into menopause each year. During the menopause transition (perimenopause), the body undergoes hormonal changes, characterized by a significant decrease in estrogen. This change typically begins to occur in a woman’s late 40s or 50s, and can last up to 10 or 20 years. However, some individuals may experience menopause early due to certain medical conditions or surgical procedures. Menopause, itself, is defined as the point in time 12 months after a woman’s last menstrual cycle.
Estrogen depletion can cause a variety of vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes, brain fog, and fatigue, as well as genital and urinary symptoms, such as vaginal dryness and urinary incontinence. Postmenopausal women have increased risks of other health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, skin issues, cognitive decline, and insomnia. Menopausal symptoms and experiences vary widely from person to person. Raising awareness and improving access to information about menopause can help reduce stigma, dispel myths, and better prepare women and their health care providers to address potential challenges during this stage in their lives.
SWHR is hosting a series of webinars to share educational information about the impact of menopause on women’s health. The events will discuss how to improve health outcomes through recognizing and addressing symptoms, comorbidities, treatment options, and barriers to accessing quality care, while highlighting the diverse experiences of women during and after the menopause transition.
The SWHR Menopause Mindfulness series includes:
- Calls for Research Funding and Addressing Stigma Related to Menopause Congressional Briefing (October 26, 2021)
- Embracing the Change of My Midlife (February 16, 2022)
- A Personal Toolkit for Menopause Preparedness (July 14, 2022)
- Understanding the Many Paths to Menopause (August 11, 2022)
- Living Your Best Work-Life through the Menopause Transition (September 8, 2022)
Goals
- Describe the different stages, types, and pathways to enter menopause
- Provide a holistic overview of treatment options for patients (including lifestyle and CAM approaches and hormone therapy) and key considerations for health care management
- Highlight information and wellness strategies from SWHR’s menopause toolkit
- Emphasize opportunities for women to improve their quality of care and overall health before, during, and after the menopause transition
Panelists
Yamnia Cortés, PhD, MPH, FNP-BC, FAHA
Yamnia Cortés, PhD, MPH, FNP-BC, FAHA
Dr. Cortés, Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) School of Nursing, leads an interdisciplinary program of research focused on 1) understanding sociocultural, environmental, and biological factors that impact midlife women’s health; 2) the interface between reproductive aging and cardiovascular disease risk; 3) interventions to promote cardiovascular health, particularly in Latinas. Methodologically, Dr. Cortés integrates approaches from biosocial research, epidemiology, behavioral medicine, and community engagement strategies.
Dr. Cortés earned a PhD from Columbia University and completed postdoctoral training in cardiovascular epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. She is a Fellow of the American Heart Association, Research Fellow of the UNC-CH Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, and Affiliate of the UNC-CH Center for Population Aging and Health.
Wen Shen, MD, MPH
Wen Shen, MD, MPH
Wen Shen is an associate professor of clinical gynecology and an associate professor of oncology at the oncology center in the Johns Hopkins Medicine Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics. She is also the clinical director of the Menopause Consultation service and Co-Director of the Women’s Wellness & Healthy Aging Program.
A board-certified gynecologist, Dr. Shen has concentrated on menopause medicine for more than 15 years. She specializes in treating peri-menopause and menopausal symptoms taking into consideration the woman’s overall health. She often works with her patients’ primary care provider to recommend non-hormonal therapies, alternative treatment options and menopause hormone therapy as appropriate for the individual patient.
In addition to clinical care, Dr. Shen focuses on educating her patients, other physicians and future physicians on women’s post reproductive health. She is engaged in clinical trials for new therapies for the treatment of menopause symptoms. She is actively developing curricula and educational aids for future physicians and health care providers on menopause medicine and the importance of healthy aging.
Claire Gill
Claire Gill
Claire Gill joined the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation in January 2013, after a 20+ year career in Public Relations and Marketing for national nonprofit organizations and public relations firms with Fortune 500 clients. During her tenure at BHOF, she has served in various roles, including Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Mission Officer, and Interim CEO, prior to assuming the full-time CEO role in May 2020.
Claire has led all of BHOF’s consumer and professional education programs. She created and launched BHOF’s “Break Free from Osteoporosis” campaign, which generated hundreds of millions of media impressions from 2013-2016. As chief Mission Officer, Claire created the Healthy Bones, Build Them for LifeTM Patient Registry, a first for the osteoporosis industry. She also helped to launch the National Bone Health Policy Institute and created the Coalition to Strengthen Bone Health, consisting of 14 leading aging, caregiver and bone health patient organizations. The Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation (BHOF) was previously named the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), and changed its name in October of 2021.
In September 2019, Claire founded and launched the National Menopause Foundation to bring about a positive change in how people perceive and experience health at midlife. She now serves as Founder and board member.
Claire is native of New York and graduated from Syracuse University. She now resides in Lorton, VA, with her husband and daughter.
Check out the full toolkit here: Menopause Preparedness Toolkit: A Woman’s Empowerment Guide
SWHR’s Menopause Preparedness Toolkit: A Woman’s Empowerment Guide was created to support women through major menopause milestones and prepare them for conversations with physicians, families, and friends.
Sponsor
SWHR’s Menopause Program is supported by educational sponsorships from Astellas Pharma and Pfizer. SWHR maintains editorial control and independence over educational content.
