Defence Health Ltd’s Post

Menopause is not just a phase—it's a significant life stage that deserves understanding, proper care, and open conversation. Yet, for many women, symptoms like hot flashes and brain fog are still stigmatized and misunderstood. We need to change that. It's time to reclaim menopause. We must advocate for better care, improved research, and a healthcare workforce that truly reflects the diverse needs of women. Let's keep the conversation going. Women deserve to feel heard and supported through every stage of life. #MenopauseAwareness #BreakTheStigma #WomensHealth #EmpowerWomen

Dr. Haver is a contributor to this insightful article published by Forbes on stopping the stigma surrounding menopause. Read the complete article at the link below. https://lnkd.in/e4zfiiHH #womenhealth #womenatwork #thepauselife #thenewmenopause

Menopause is not just a phase—it's a significant life stage that deserves understanding, proper care, and open conversation. Yet, for many women, symptoms like hot flashes and brain fog are still stigmatized and misunderstood. We need to change that. It's time to reclaim menopause. We must advocate for better care, improved research, and a healthcare workforce that truly reflects the diverse needs of women. Let's keep the conversation going. Women deserve to feel heard and supported through every stage of life. #MenopauseAwareness #BreakTheStigma #WomensHealth #EmpowerWomen

Understanding menopause is crucial for everyone, not just women. This natural biological process can have far-reaching effects on relationships, workplaces, and communities. By recognizing that menopause impacts the lives of partners, families, and colleagues, we can foster empathy, support, and awareness that ultimately leads to a healthier dialogue surrounding women's health. It’s time to break the stigma and encourage open conversation about menopause, creating a more supportive environment for those experiencing it. I invite you to dive deeper into the topic of menapause with the article below. The power of knowledge will lead us forward.

Today is #WorldMenopauseDay This pic was taken April 2022, 2 months post my radical hysterectomy where I went into sudden menopause. I really didn’t have a clue what hit me. My body already In deep recovery was like a train wreck. I worked hard to resource myself back to wellness with Accupuncture, HRT, coaching and therapy and of course the sea and ice baths. But there was no map or guide or anyone to speak to. Nobody my age speaks about menopause. Some still in IvF cycles. So much shame around the subject too. Nobody I knew who had gone into sudden menopause. My mother had passed and she never shared her experience with me before she died. A reminder if you and your mother can speak openly make sure you hear her experience. It’s often a roadmap for the next generation. So this is why we need awareness days. To remind each other there is no shame and we need to ask for help. I welcome Simon Harris news on free HRT and all the women who fought for this. Becoming self- employed my concern if I didn’t have money to pay for my HRT how would I cope! Imagine women suffering who can’t afford something so critical. Also to say HRT is not for everyone. Each person knows their body and what resources them. Be sure to get expert support for your unique needs. Women’s health care is under represented in Ireland and the world and awareness days like today are crucial to keeping this on top of the agenda! All women’s health not only menopause! #menopauseintheworkplace #womenshealth #WorldMenopauseDay #MenopauseAwareness #WorkplaceWellness #WomenInWorkplace #MenopauseSupport #HealthyWorkplace #MenopauseAtWork #EmployeeWellbeing #InclusiveWorkplace #WorkplaceHealth #MenopauseMatters #WellnessAtWork #SupportWomen #MenopauseEducation #WorkplaceInclusion

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲: Embracing a Wholistic Approach to Menopause Today is a great time to spotlight an issue that directly affects half of the world's population and the other half indirectly. Yet, for all that, this subject often remains shrouded in silence, minimization and stigma. What is it? #𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 ... We have some alarming projected figures to deal with. By next year (2025) there will be at least 𝟏 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 #𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞. Within this alarming figure, we know that a substantial number of women may not recognize the diverse signs of perimenopause or may not attribute them to this phase. How then do we deal with this coming tsunami where over 85% of women in perimenopause experience significant enough symptoms that end up derailing their work, relationships and wellbeing? And how do we avoid the medicalization of a natural process that requires some adjustments as we all live longer? What can be done? ✅ Educate yourself & raise awareness, especially to your womenfolk as they approach their 40’s.  ✅ Sensitize everyone else. They will know of someone going through it. Support is vital. ✅ Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Bioidentical hormone treatment remains a good first line management option if a woman doesn’t have contraindications. AT THE SAME TIME, the perimenopausal woman must adopt a proven, integrated, natural and science-based solution that will address the root cause (hormones). This approach will address the immediate and medium term issues as well as the downstream risks and consequences of perimenopause and menopause.  Cobbled together options simply Do. Not. Work! Not addressing them puts a woman at risk of a poor quality of life, even when she had a relatively ‘easy’ journey to menopause. Yet, this will affect ALL of us - women in midlife, but also mothers, sisters, aunts, friends & colleagues and all their male connections. To help in this, I’m excited to be able to support women in midlife and can be reached by DM, when we will hop on a call with clear deliverables to set you on the right path. #InternationalWomensDay #WomensHealth #MenopauseAwareness #GetYourSassyBack

Views are my own Since I last worked in menopause, the conversation has exploded. Largely in a way which is pretty polarising - either HRT for every woman and menopause is a disease (...?) OR lifestyle changes only for all women. This polarised information makes it hard for the every day person to make choices about their health. And therefore, it risks making menopause (which we do not get taught about in schools) actually scarier, more confusing and worse for women. 2 steps forward… and potentially some steps back. I’m really proud that The Lowdown team has build the worlds first real world evidence platform for perimenopause and HRT. What does this actually mean though? It means that women can come to the Lowdown, and understand different experiences of peri/menopause. Whether people choose to take HRT or not, their voices are represented. This is important, because when women start to get menopause symptoms and speak to their own GP they will often get told to ‘do their own research’. Just like with contraception - a few leaflets, and "Dr Google". But what tends to come up on google is the polarised press above - because marketing at the extremes is generally more effective. This means that women will often take months, potentially years, ‘doing this research’. And in those years… they might suffer. Whilst I absolutely do not think menopause is a disease, it does come with symptoms that range from mild to very difficult and painful. Women should know there are treatment options out there, and not suffer in silence. There are a range of medical, lifestyle, and cognitive training techniques that can help women deal with their symptoms. The choices you make at peri/menopause also impact women's long term health, and are very important. But the first step is giving women good information on their options. Better information leads to empowerment, and empowerment means women will be able to choose the right solution to them. It’s not about one thing over the other (you can try multiple changes at once). In my opinion, the first step to system-wide change is enabling women to make informed choices. The Lowdown is creating the women’s health research platform, where people get medical information alongside data on women's collective experiences. The team have worked tirelessly to make this happen, and been supported by the expert team at Myla Health. So, if you’d like to be part of changing the polarisation of menopause and getting high quality information to all women (for free), then share your experience on the Lowdown today: https://lnkd.in/dpSRpAst Big shout out to the team Jen Penaluna, Melanie Davis-Hall, Marija Ziterbart, Tilde Loop, Georgia Gallant, Danielle Conlon, Dr Frances Yarlett, Alice Pelton, Johno Fisher, Zoe Schaedel, Olivia Hum.

🗣 Women in our network—have you ever felt like something was off with your health but couldn't pinpoint what it was? For so many of us, perimenopause and menopause come with unexpected changes—emotional, physical, hormonal—that we’re often not prepared for. Even worse? These life phases are still under-discussed, leaving many of us to navigate them without enough support or information. But it doesn’t have to be this way. That’s why we’re launching a survey to understand the real experiences of women like YOU -- which will fuel a report on the topic, published in partnership with IDC DERMO. If you’ve felt the impact of perimenopause or menopause—or suspect you might be—it’s time to make your voice heard. 💬 Join us in helping shape the conversation and create solutions that truly serve us. Take the survey today and let's bring this important issue into the spotlight where it belongs. 👇 https://lnkd.in/epkjirxc #WomensHealth #Perimenopause #Menopause #HealthAwareness #SupportWomen #Survey

Only a few years ago, menopause was rarely discussed. Thanks to voices like Oprah Winfrey and Davina McCall, this once-taboo topic is now reaching millions, sparking meaningful conversations and breaking down stigma. While celebrity advocacy plays a powerful role in normalizing menopause, it’s important to remember that every woman’s experience is unique. At sanoMidLife, we support women by providing personalized, evidence-based care and accessible resources, going beyond the surface to address real health needs. With menopause projected to become a $600B industry by 2025, it’s important to keep the focus on trustworthy, expert-driven care over marketing. Women don’t need another product endorsement—they deserve rigorous evidence-based information, genuine support, and a range of clinically validated medical and lifestyle options tailored to them. Let’s appreciate the influence of celebrities while staying mindful of where we seek our health information. Menopause deserves more than hype; it deserves understanding and professional guidance. #MenopauseAwareness #EvidenceBasedCare #WomensHealth #sanoMidLife https://lnkd.in/gBQVEDRU

It’s great to see that menopause is now being openly discussed and that researchers are demystifying the effects on women experiencing symptoms. Our CPD accredited Menopause Awareness course gives education organisations an insight into how to support anyone through menopause at work. If you want find out more, visit us at #stillhuman. #teacherwellbeing #edwingroup #menopauseawareness