FOR far too long women have been blindsided by menopause and left to just get on with it.

An estimated one in five women is currently experiencing it, yet the lack of support is made worse by the stigma and silence that surrounds an experience half of all people will go through.

In May we had both shortages of hormone replacement therapy — HRT — which aren’t over yet, and Davina McCall’s groundbreaking Sex, Mind And The Menopause documentary.

Then in September Boots became the nation’s first pharmacy to dish out a type of HRT over the counter.

So, on World Menopause Day, where are we at?

“There’s still a long way to go,” says menopause expert Dr Louise Newson.

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“It’s easy to think, ‘Isn’t this amazing, all this talk’ — but it’s only good if it means action.”

A Newson Health survey released today revealed almost eight out of ten women said menopause symptoms put a strain on their family life.

“Menopause is a hormone deficiency that is only done the day you die,” said Dr Newson, adding: “We need to make sure people understand the real health risks of women not getting treatment.

“Look at the women in nursing homes who have dementia, osteoporosis and heart disease.

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“These are women who aren’t on HRT — HRT reduces the risk of heart attack by 50 per cent — and this is costing the health economy a lot of money. We need to have grown-up conversations about it.”

That’s why The Sun launched our Fabulous Menopause Matters campaign a year ago.

Backed by celebrities including Davina and Lisa Snowdon, we called on the Government to make changes to improve women’s lives.

And it is working.

Just weeks after we launched the campaign, ministers responded to pressure and backed a “menopause revolution”, pledging to cut the yearly cost of repeat HRT prescriptions to £18.70 — a saving of up to £205 — which comes into force in April.

What’s more, thanks to greater awareness, prescriptions for HRT have risen 42 per cent in the past year.

But there is still more to do.

Today we look at what progress has been made.

Inquiry demands checks

AFTER a year-long inquiry, last week MPs on the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Menopause urged the Government to introduce free health checks for women aged 45.

The report said: “This is crucial to ensure women are engaged with the health system ahead of or in the early stages of perimenopause, help diagnose menopause at an earlier stage and ensure women are better prepared.”

Under the proposals, women would be invited to have a check, as with cervical cancer screenings.

The APPG also recommended better training for medics to help spot symptoms earlier.

It sounds like a positive step, one that puts a real focus on making sure women are seen sooner, and listened to swiftly.

But Dr Newson doesn’t believe a specific menopause check is necessary when we are already offered a free NHS health check at the age of 40.

“It should be part of women’s consultations [and discussed] every time a woman has a smear or goes for a mammogram,” says Dr Newson.

She adds: “I also worry about young women who are menopausal. It will make people think – which a lot do already – that menopause is just for women in their 40s and 50s.

“My youngest patient is 14 and one in 100 women under 40 has an early menopause.

“Lots of women in their 20s and 30s are perimenopausal.”

Women front & centre

EMPOWERING women to take charge of their health is “pivotal”, says Dr Newson, if we are to bring about change, and fast.

She explains: “We should be enabling women to have the right information so they can make the diagnosis themselves so they can choose the treatment they want.”

She recommends that women regularly fill out a menopause symptom checker to help spot any changes – there is one you can use on her downloadable Balance app.

“You can work out your symptoms, generate a health report and then go, ‘Right, do I want to have my hormones back?’ They’re a bit low, so I’ll go to my doctor and say, ‘Look, this is what’s going on. Can we talk about my treatment choices and having HRT?’ ”

It’s not about putting more pressure on the NHS, she explains.

“As women, let’s work it out ourselves. Then, if we go to a healthcare professional and decide that is what we want, that should be a key to unlocking our future.”

Break down taboos

DAVINA McCALL got us talking about menopause and the workplace, sex and mental health, but almost a million women in the UK have left jobs as a result of their symptoms.

The APPG report stated that “entrenched taboo” means support for women is “completely inadequate”.

APPG chief Carolyn Harris said: “The taboo around the menopause still prevails in all corners of society – in workplaces, within families and among friends, in education and in the medical profession.”

As a result, many women are still not being offered the life-changing HRT treatment they desperately need.

Dr Newson said: “Things have really changed, but menopause is still seen as almost a celebrity lifestyle problem and you are ‘giving in’ if you get treatment.”

Treatment is crucial though, and she added that it is vital that we look out for those around us, and that friends and family are also alert to potential changes in loved ones that could signal menopause.

Dr Newson continued: “A woman emailed me who was just too worn out and exhausted to fight for herself.

“It was her husband who persuaded her doctor to give her HRT. She was on track to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital if he hadn’t stepped in.

“It’s really important that others are looking out for women as well.”

Why no free HRT for all?

HORMONE replacement therapy is already free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but not in England.

MP Carolyn Harris, who chairs the APPG on Menopause, said: “Access remains a postcode lottery for women in the UK, and there is a stark divide between those who can afford to seek treatment elsewhere and those who cannot.”

The APPG argued that despite ministers cutting the cost of repeat HRT prescriptions, HRT is not a luxury and ought to be freely available for all who wish to use it.

Dr Newson says availability is a problem, adding: “It would be amazing if it was free to all, but before that, every woman who wants HRT should be able to have it, and that’s not happening.”

Even those on prescriptions can struggle to obtain the vital drugs.

According to specialist authority the British Menopause Society, the UK continues to experience shortages in supplies of oestrogel, a gel form of HRT.

What could really make a difference to access and availability, and what Dr Newson is calling for, is a national HRT formulary, or list of nationally approved medicines, as doctors are currently unable to prescribe any drugs not on their local formulary.

She said: “It’s really important to have a national formulary so all GPs can prescribe any type of HRT that’s listed and licensed.”

Studies of the potential risks of HRT have meant some women have been reluctant to take it, and doctors to prescribe it, but the NHS says: “Recent evidence says the risks of HRT are small and usually outweighed by the benefits.”

It may not be suitable for a small number of women, so always consult your GP before embarking on HRT.

Get HRT over the counter

IN A MAJOR step forward, women can now access HRT over the counter – with Boots the first to offer it.

Anne Higgins, the company’s Pharmacy Director, said the move marked a “landmark moment for women’s health”.

She explained that women can access a treatment called Gina – a ­vaginal tablet prescribed to treat ­dryness, soreness, itching and burning down there – after a quick consultation with a pharmacist in store, although women still have to pay for it.

“It means the treatment is more ­convenient and accessible,” she told Sun Health.

“Women can walk into any of our stores to speak to a pharmacist about their menopause symptoms, with no appointment needed, and many stores have consultation rooms available for privacy.”

Boots pharmacist Bina Mehta adds: “Menopause can trigger more than 40 signs and symptoms.

“Every woman’s experience will be different and some women experience more signs and symptoms than others. That’s why it’s important that we continue to talk about the menopause.

“I encourage any woman who is ­concerned, or not feeling themselves, to come and speak to a pharmacist for personalised advice.”

Five helpful products

Boots Skin Edit hydrating cooling mist with hyaluronic acid, 100ml, £9.99.

Holland & Barrett Vitamin D 400iu, 10ug, 90 tablets, £2.49.

Boots Menopause By Complete Woman, 30 tablets, £11.90.

No7 Menopause Skincare protect and hydrate day cream, 50ml, £32.95.

Gina 10ug estradiol, 24 vaginal tablets, £29.99.

Fabulous Menopause Matters

FABULOUS surveyed 2,000 women who were in perimenopause or menopause and half said there was not enough support for them, 49 per cent suffered from depression, and seven per cent felt suicidal – and it was clear something needed to change.

Our campaign aims are:

• Free HRT on the NHS for everyone.
• Employers to put menopause support at the heart of workplace policies.
• To bust taboos and help women thrive in menopause.

Fabulous Menopause Matters

An estimated one in five of the UK’s population are currently experiencing it.

Yet the menopause is still whispered in hush tones like it’s something to be embarrassed about. 

The stigma attached to the transition means women have been suffering in silence for centuries. 

The Sun are determined to change that, launching the Fabulous Menopause Matters campaign to give the taboo a long-awaited kick, and get women the support they need.

The campaign has three aims:

• To make HRT free in England
• To get every workplace to have a menopause policy to provide support
• To bust taboos around the menopause

The campaign has been backed by a host of influential figures including Baroness Karren Brady CBE, celebrities Lisa Snowdon, Jane Moore, Michelle Heaton, Zoe Hardman, Saira Khan, Trisha Goddard, as well as Dr Louise Newson, Carolyn Harris MP, Jess Phillips MP, Caroline Nokes MP and Rachel Maclean MP. 

Exclusive research commissioned by Fabulous, which surveyed 2,000 British women aged 45-65 who are going through or have been through the menopause, found that 49% of women suffered feelings of depression, while 7% felt suicidal while going through the menopause. 

50% of respondents said there is not enough support out there for menopausal women, which is simply not good enough. It’s time to change that. 

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