This post was adapted from Unlock Health’s The Link newsletter. Subscribe to The Link to get insights like this directly in your inbox.
Let’s change the narrative around ‘the change of life’
What’s going on?
Hot (news) flash: A menopause movement is underway, with women demanding support for their overwhelming, overlooked struggles.
Menopause — often referred to as “the change of life” — marks the end of a menstruating person’s reproductive years. The menopausal transition (aka perimenopause) usually begins between ages 45-55 and lasts an average of four years, though some people transition for more than a decade. The hormonal changes during this time can trigger a range of symptoms, many of which were deemed debilitating by nearly 90% of respondents in a recent AARP survey. We’re talking much more than hot flashes. There are 45 different symptoms of menopause: anxiety, difficulty sleeping, headaches, mood changes and palpitations to name a few. According to MyMenopauseRx, such symptoms have caused 59% of women to take time off work, and 1 in 10 have left their jobs altogether.
Despite menopause’s prevalent impact on work and daily routines, the resources to help those experiencing it are sorely lacking.
- Only 7% of women and others who experience menopause feel that brands and retailers cater effectively to their needs.
- Fewer than 7% of physicians feel prepared to treat menopause symptoms.
Many doctors dismiss the legitimate health concerns of patients in perimenopause as age-related issues, which is particularly concerning given the increased health risks associated with menopause, like cardiovascular disease, bone loss, and dementia.
The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause premiered last week in honor of World Menopause Day and is the first documentary to confront this health crisis. Featuring doctors, workplace advocates, and leaders in women’s health, the documentary combines evidence-based information with powerful personal testimonies raising awareness of the hidden toll menopause takes. Not only does it challenge societal and medical shortcomings, but it advocates for a revolutionary shift in how people understand and treat menopause, amplifying a movement already underway. In May, female senators and actress Halle Berry proposed new legislation to boost menopause-related research and funding, physician training, and public awareness about this misunderstood condition.
What’s The Link?
The medical field is under the microscope, and together, we must answer the charge to help those in their menopause era not only survive, but thrive.
First and foremost, doctors and nurses need better training to provide care for patients in perimenopause, while also helping them to better understand and navigate the changes their bodies undergo during this time. The M Factor can serve as an educational tool for healthcare providers as the first-ever broadcast film to earn continuing medical education (CME) accreditation.
The staggering stats around menopause also underscore the need for a holistic, integrated approach to adequately address women’s complex health needs. Organizations that can operationalize their care models in such a way will win big with patients seeking help for the management of their menopause symptoms, and ultimately for the other conditions they’re at greater risk of developing.
In the meantime, there’s obvious opportunity for cross-selling services and refining targeting based on the increased health risks that perimenopause brings. With the recent addition of menopause to the list of health conditions in our Unlock Consumer Compass™ survey, we’re deepening our insight into this patient mindset and enhancing our ability to craft messaging that resonates with them during this life stage.
Beyond volume-driving initiatives, brands can respond to the menopause movement by:
- Supporting their workforce with a menopause policy, including items like all-staff education, environmental adjustments to the workplace, flexible working options, and inclusive wellness initiatives. MyMenopauseRx calculates that relieving an employee’s menopause symptoms can save up to $8,000 in quantifiable productivity and healthcare dollars per person each year.
- Putting out organic content that simply joins the conversation. Given that menopause has long been a stigmatized topic, social media can be an effective starting point because it’s a lower-stakes (i.e., cost-effective and hyper-targeted) environment perfect for testing and optimizing.
Unlock Health partnered with UChicago Medicine on a urogynecology campaign, which raised awareness and reduced stigma around pelvic floor disorders. Like with menopause, many patients need but do not seek out care for pelvic floor issues because they are used to “dealing” with them as a fact of life. With messaging like “leaking is common but not normal,” the goal of the campaign was to initiate conversation around pelvic health and raise awareness of options to manage symptoms.
Check out the case study here
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