Accessing menopausal support

In this final episode, leading endocrinologist, Dr Christina Jang shares the best ways to get information and support during all stages of menopause. This is also helpful for loved ones, family and friends, so encourage them to listen.

Our anonymous guest speaks about their own experience of entering perimenopause and how they've embraced it in a positive way.

My partner is in menopause — how can I support them? What are the positives of being in perimenopause or menopause? Where can I get help for my menopause symptoms? Listen to find out.

Thanks for joining us for season 2 of It Can't Hurt To Ask. We hope you enjoyed it. Please leave us a review and share with anyone who needs to learn more about menopause.

Featured in this episode

Katie May

Our host Katie is a single mum in her late 30s. She is a communications expert with 17 years’ experience and is passionate about health and wellbeing. She is currently studying Italian just for fun and absolutely adores her pet greyhound, Piper.

Dr Christina Jang

Dr Jang is a Brisbane-based endocrinologist treating all endocrine conditions, with a special interest in female reproductive endocrinology, including menopause. She is a staff specialist in endocrinology at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH). She is a senior lecturer at the University of Queensland and president-elect of the Australasian Menopause Society (AMS).

For her, endocrinology is an area of medicine which presents opportunities to deliver far-reaching benefits to her patients.

Episode resources

Australasian Menopause Society (AMS)

The AMS is a not-for-profit member-based society aiming to improve the quality of life for women during and after the menopause. The AMS helps women and their health professionals better understand the transition through this stage of life by providing accurate, evidence-based information about premature menopause, perimenopause, menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and alternatives, osteoporosis and how to locate a doctor interested in women's health. Find out more from AMS.

Jean Hailes for Women's Health

Jean Hailes for Women's Health is a national not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving women's health across Australia through every life stage. They work in public health, research, clinical services and policy. Their website has practical and easy-to-understand information for women and for health professionals. Visit Jean Hailes for Women's Health for more information.

Lifeline

Lifeline provides free, 24-hour telephone crisis support service in Australia. Counsellors are available to provide mental health support and emotional assistance, not only via telephone but face-to-face and online. Visit Lifeline or call 13 11 14.

Beyond Blue

Beyond Blue is an Australian mental health and wellbeing support organisation. They offer free, qualified mental health support via chat or phone. For more information visit the Beyond Blue website or call them on 1300 22 4636.

Women's Wellbeing Line

The Women’s Wellbeing Line provides free mental health support and therapeutic counselling for women, girls and gender diverse folk in Queensland. For more information visit Women’s Wellbeing Line or call 1800 4WOMEN (1800 496 636).

Transcript

Vox Pop:

They said that they had a directory of GPs who had extra training in women's health and menopause. And I thought, oh, okay, that's interesting. I'll have a look and see if there's any GPs in my area. And I had a look and there was one, and she was a GP that was at the usual medical centre I go to. She's just been the best thing since sliced bread.

Katie:

Welcome back to It Can't Hurt to Ask, the podcast where we explore all things health and wellbeing. My name is Katie and today's episode is all about accessing support and resources if you or someone you love is going through menopause. There's so much help out there and we'll be talking about where to find it and how to get the support you need. As always, joining me is Brisbane-based endocrinologist, Christina.

Christina:

Hi, it’s nice to be here.

Katie:

Before we get started, we'd like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this podcast has been recorded. For us it's Meanjin, the land of the Yuggera and Turrbal peoples.

A quick note on terminology. Throughout this podcast we'll be using the terms women and girls. We use these terms inclusively to mean all people who identify as a woman or girl and recognise that people who do not identify as a woman or girl may still be affected by women's health issues.

So Christina, what have you heard about what it can be like to live with someone going through perimenopause or menopause?

Christina:

Well, the menopausal transition can lead to changes in physical and emotional symptoms. Partners may have trouble understanding these changes and they can be left feeling a little helpless or confused.

The partners can of course be directly impacted. One thing I hear a lot is how hot flushes really affect a woman's sleep. So the bed covers go on and then off several times a night and that can be very disruptive to the partner's sleep.

Same-sex partners may have a better understanding or empathy, especially if they are going through menopause and having symptoms themselves.

Katie:

How can partners educate themselves about the physical and emotional changes associated with menopause?

Christina:

Well, I think the first thing to say is that it's really important to communicate with your partner to find out what their symptoms are and what they're experiencing.

In terms of finding out information, there was a time when menopause wasn't really talked about. Not so long ago, it was called ‘the change of life’ with somewhat negative connotations attached to it. Thankfully, these days, there's a lot more awareness, particularly in the media and on the internet, so people can access information quite readily in that regard.

And of course, the most reliable source is going to be a healthcare professional. So if the woman is going to see her GP, one possibility is that the partner also attends.

Katie:

So you touched on some language and wording there, Christina. What is the best language to use when talking about menopause?

Christina:

I think it's important to use respectful and non-judgmental language.  Avoid minimising or dismissing the person's experiences and really encourage open-ended questions to facilitate more conversation.

Katie:

So what are some practical or actionable things people can do to help their loved one as they go through the menopausal journey?

Christina:

I think be patient and listen and try to take in what they're saying.

You can help manage symptoms by creating a comfortable environment, for example, a cool sleeping area and air conditioned or cool environment to work in and encourage a healthy lifestyle such as exercising and eating well and just offering emotional support and reassurance in general.

Katie:

So, encouraging people to live a healthier lifestyle, for example, is this typically something you would speak to your patients about? And what's the value in doing that?

Christina:

I mean, it sounds sort of like almost patronising, that's kind of what I was thinking, but it is something we actually tell our patients. You know, if they're, for example, carrying a bit of extra weight, that's extra insulation that makes them feel warmer. So, weight loss really is a good bit of advice that we frequently give patients in a nice way, obviously. And obviously eating well, that feeds into that.

Katie:

How can open communication and empathy strengthen their relationship during this phase?

Christina:

I'd suggest regularly checking in with each other's feelings and experiences, set aside some time to foster a safe space for expressing concerns and needs and practice empathy by acknowledging and validating each other's emotions.

What I would say is yes, I do see partners coming along. Often, it varies depending on how active they want to be, or how involved they want to be in the consultation. Some will be asking a lot of questions. Many won't and that's fine. That's just the way they want to be present. But I think it's really helpful if they come along and they listen to some of the advice that I give to the woman. They hear that I'm acknowledging the patient and what she's going through. And I give some advice to the partner to say, ‘hey, this is what we can offer you, this is what we can provide for you to treat you’. And then the partner may have a better understanding of what their loved one's going through.

Katie:

If you're enjoying It Can't Hurt To Ask, don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review, it helps us reach more people.

Anonymous:

I am 42 years old and I feel like I'm really coming into the prime of my life and currently in perimenopause, which is a really exciting chapter of my life because it's signalling a time where I am the most empowered I've ever been in my life. And I get to really enjoy a lot of the things that I've worked so hard to achieve in my life, not just within myself, but in terms of like my lifestyle and my career.

I think it's really important for women and people who experience perimenopause and menopause to open up conversation about what that might look like and understanding that it's going to look really different for everyone.  And that the most powerful thing that anyone can do for themselves is to be highly attuned to their own body.

And so for me, I have really personally like welcomed perimenopause because I feel like it's a celebration of me reaching a stage in my life that I didn't really know if I'd ever get here. Like, I am, or I feel like I've turned into the adult that they say would have taken care of you as a little kid or like the person that you had always wanted to be.

Katie:

We just heard a voice note from a person who would like to remain anonymous. They're a non-binary person who is also queer. They're in their early 40s and currently in perimenopause. Being a late-identified neurodivergent, they spoke about their unique experience with perimenopause and self-empowerment. Thanks for sharing your story.

So Christina, now what might be something positive about going into menopause or perimenopause?

Christina:

I think the way to frame it is that it's inevitable, basically.

So the experience is different for every woman. So not every woman will experience negative symptoms. And for some women, it can be quite positive. As you go through the perimenopause, a lot of women have very heavy periods. And for many women, the end of having periods is a celebration.

I think in this day and age, what we really want to see is women being educated and being prepared for what they might experience. That's really the main message. And I think I've said this before, but it is a privilege to get there.

Katie:

So what we've learned from this podcast so far, Christina, is that everyone's symptoms are different and they have different experiences. If someone is of the right age and think they're experiencing some of the symptoms, what can they expect from that first consultation with the clinician?

Christina:

As the doctor, it's our job to get a really good thorough history from the patient, work out what symptoms this patient has, what symptoms are troubling her and which symptoms we can offer or will offer her help for. And that's where it's all about tailoring the treatment to that individual woman.

What treatments, for example, menopausal hormone therapy may be suitable for her and what different regimens we can use. And using allied health staff may also be helpful, like using physiotherapists if particularly they've got, for example, pelvic issues.

Katie:

Okay listeners, before we move on, here's a quick trivia question. How many women in Australia are estimated to be going through menopause or post-menopause each year? Stay tuned for the answer at the end of the episode.

And if you're enjoying It Can't Hurt To Ask, don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review.  It helps us reach more people.

What resources and support services are available in Queensland for women and their partners navigating perimenopause and menopause?

Christina:

Well, I think the first place to go is always your GP for an initial consultation and then ongoing care. For more specialised care, for example, more complex medical issues, women may get referred to a specialist such as an endocrinologist or a gynaecologist who has a special interest in menopause.

Many women will do the Dr. Google search and of course there's a lot of information on the internet. Just a word of caution though to always get information from reputable sites. Websites like Queensland Health, the Australasian Menopause Society and Jean Hailes for Women's Health are all excellent sites with great information.

And then there's other healthcare practitioners who may be needed for more specific issues such as psychologists, women's health physiotherapists and dietitians who have an interest in midlife health.

Katie:

I find online community groups on like on social media can be so helpful, especially as for me as a parent. Do you often find many people seeking support from groups like this on social media for menopause and do you think they help?

Christina:

There's definitely a lot of Facebook groups, which are menopause-focused.  I'm aware that there are some good ones and some not so good ones, I think. I think you have to be really careful of the advice and information you're getting from those Facebook groups, because they're not healthcare professionals - it's based on personal experience, it's based on what they hear about someone else, so just a word of caution. I think just to read about other people's experiences is really valuable, but getting advice, you have to be really careful.

Everyone is different and what is applicable for another person won't be applicable for them, so therefore, the treatment is different. So that's where it's important to find out what the best treatment for that individual person is.

Katie:

How can women proactively seek early advice for symptoms that they think are related to perimenopause?

Christina:

Well, I think regular health checkups are a good start. So maybe schedule regular visits with your GP to discuss symptoms. If you have any, work out whether it is menopause related and get some advice to start off with.

I often tell women to monitor their symptoms and keep a diary to discuss with their GPs or myself when they come in.

As we said earlier, it's important to use reputable websites and resources to learn about symptoms and management strategies.

Katie:

Are there ways that they can educate themselves? Who do your patients usually turn to for advice?  Do they talk to their mother or their grandmother or their friends?

Christina:

The question about talking to the mother is interesting because many women who are going through menopause now, their mothers lived through a generation where it really wasn't talked about. And so a lot of them didn't get the education, and realistically, those mothers probably suffered in silence and just got through it, which is not great.

These days, women, they might go back and ask their mother, but they've probably forgotten about it. They haven't really sort of remembered it, I guess. They do get a lot of information from their friends. Often, I will hear that women, they catch up with friends and they talk about their symptoms, kind of like comparing notes and that support itself in a way, isn't it? Especially if you know that a woman is a similar age to you. It's something you might just, might just creep into casual conversation. And I think talking to a lot of patients who are going through it now, that seems to be a common theme, especially the ones who are so affected. They look back and think, oh, did my mother go through this? How did she get through this? I don't remember her going through this. And it's really interesting hearing them talk about their mother's experience.

Katie:

Hey listeners, before you go, let's get an answer to that trivia question.

About 80,000 Australian women enter menopause each year. This means there are about 2 million post-menopausal women in Australia right now. Up to 4% of Australian women experience premature menopause before their 40th birthday, and around 12% will go through menopause before they are 45. You can find out more about these stats in the show notes. And if you're one of the 2 million post-menopausal women, know that support is available, and you don't have to go through it alone.

Well, guess what folks, that's a wrap! Thank you so much for tuning in to season two of It Can't Hurt to Ask. Whether you've listened to one episode or all six, it's been a pleasure hosting you.

Thanks again to Christina and all our guests for joining us this season. We've been so lucky to have you.

So what's in tune for season three?  You'll have to wait and see when It Can't Hurt to Ask returns soon.