World Menopause Day is an internationally recognized event that was established in 2009 by the International Menopause Society in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). The month of October is Menopause Awareness Month, and World Menopause Day is held annually on 18 October.

World Menopause Day is held every year on the 18th of October. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the menopause and the support options available for improving health and well being. We encourage professionals and women to participate in this global awareness raising campaign by printing and sharing these materials, organizing events to engage their communities, and sharing World Menopause Day social media posts.

• International Menopause Society

• North American Menopause Society (NAMS)

• North American Menopause Society

• Certified Menopause Specialist (CMS) Provider Lookup

• Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN)

• 2022 Hormone Therapy Statement of North American Menopause Society

• 2022 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Use of Testosterone in Women

• The [M] Factor Resource Page

Hormone Therapy has become most commonly known or referred to as Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). This is a bit of a misnomer, because the goal is not to replace the levels of hormones that once existed. The goal is to treat with the lowest amount of hormone that is effective for the person. Thus, making Hormone Therapy (HT) a more accurate term.

Read the paper: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6780820/

Doctors are not the authority of your body and health. You are. The most important things you can do is educate yourself and advocate for yourself.

1. Share with them your communication and learning style. Tell them what you need to be able understand the conversation (e.g. please talk slowly, I do best with pictures and metaphors, please be patient: I ask lots of questions).

2. Gather and summarize health and family history. Break it down by condition/health concern (e.g. thyroid, digestion, blood pressure etc.). Summarize onset, experience, what you have tried to address, what has seemed to work/not work. Prioritize what feels most important to you.

3. Gather labs and blood work and map them over time.

4. Enlist them in your integrative approach. Share other modalities you are employing or considering (e.g. acupuncture, homeopathy, cranio sacral, etc.). If they are resistant or dismissive, ask them about their level of experience and understanding of the modality and why they are not open to it.

5. Write down your questions in advance.

6. Avoid siting information you have seen on social media (even if from reputable sources). Instead, reference books, podcasts, studies and evidenced-based guidelines.

7. Bring reference and guidelines with you.

8. Record visit on your phone and transcribe later. Take written notes.

Some guidelines to reference:

• National Menopause Society Position Statements & Guidelines

• 2022 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Use of Testosterone in Women

• Global Consensus Position Statement on the use of Testosterone Therapy for Women

• Treatment of Urogenital Symptoms in Individuals With a History of Estrogen-dependent Breast Cancer

• 2024 Vaginal Estrogen Safety for Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause in Breast Cancer Survivors

• 2023 A systematic review of randomised clinical trials – The safety of vaginal hormones and selective estrogen receptor modulators for the treatment of genitourinary menopausal symptoms in breast cancer survivors

PEOPLE IMPACTED

• More than 2 Million in the US enter menopause each year

• 1.1 Billion women will be in menopause by 2025

• Each year 250,000 women in the US experience premature menopause, whether naturally or surgically induced. (The Menopause Society)

• Two-thirds of Alzheimer’s patients are women (Alzheimer’s Association)

TREATMENT

• The Menopause Supplement Market is Forecast to reach more than $735 Million in 2025 (Nutrition Business Journal)

• Prior to the 2002 WHI Study 40% of women used Hormone Therapy. After the 2002 WH Study, the number of women using Hormone Therapy dropped to 4% (The Menopause Society)

• Testosterone is not FDA approved for women in the United States (it is for men and trans men).

SYMPTOMS

• Menopause symptoms last (SWAN): 4.8 years for Japanese American women / 5.4 years for Chinese American women / 6.5 years for White women / 8.9 years for Latinas / 10.1 years for Black women

• Latinos make up 17% of the US Population (UnidosUS)

• 43% of Latinas suffer from Heart Disease, almost 41% have high blood pressure (American Heart Association)

• Up to 50% of Women experience painful sex and reduced libido during menopause. (The Menopause Society)

• 30 % of women in menopause will lose a tooth in the first 5 years of menopause (Chief Dental Officer, Delta Dental of Oregon/Alaska)

EMPLOYMENT / ECONOMIC

• Women over 50 are one of the fastest growing employment groups in the US (National Institutes of Health)

• Women Lose $1.8 Billion in productivity ANNUALLY due to menopause symptoms

• In 2023 only 4% of major US Companies offered menopause benefits (Bloomberg)

EDUCATION / RESEARCH / FUNDING

• In a nationwide survey of medical residency programs, only 31% reported having menopause curriculum (Augusta University Report)

• Menopause Medicine, as subspecialty of OBGYN, requires highly skilled practitioners (The Menopause Society)

• In 2022 the National Institute of Health $46 Billion, 10% went to women’s health

• Executive order from president $12 Billion Allocated to Women’s Midlife Research