Davina McCall’s hard-hitting channel 4 documentary Sex, Myths and The Menopause enlightened a nation – and hit a nerve. We discovered both the shocking lack of formal medical training that doctors receive on the menopause and the perimenopause, and the veiled truth about HRT. The hashtags #davinamenopause and #MakeMenopauseMatter trended like wildfire on Twitter. Celebrities Emma Bunton, Carol Vorderman and (even) Sophie, Countess of Wessex opened up to talk publicly about the menopause.
Here are the online menopause sites that everyone’s been talking about.
The Star-Led Charity To Support
The Menopause Charity
‘I’ll have what Davina’s having,’ said patients, according to a GP in Argyll. Davina’s documentary has been instrumental in raising awareness and in educating doctors. Two days after Davina’s TV documentary, the Menopause Charity was launched. After offering a free six-hour online menopause training course to every GP practise, over 5,000 of the 9,374 NHS practises in the UK promptly signed up. Davina was filmed putting on her see-through oestrogen patch and ever since, GP surgeries have been bombarded. ‘I dispensed more HRT yesterday than I’d normally do in a month!’ tweeted Sally Harris, a pharmacist in Wales. Click here for more info.
The #MakeMenopauseMatter Campaign To Follow
Menopause Support
Half of the planet will go through it and yet still doctors are rarely taught about the menopause. With 13 million menopausal women in the UK, it is unfathomable how the menopause is not a compulsory module in medical education. ‘Many women are turned away by their doctor, denied treatment for symptoms not recognised as connected to menopause and incorrectly offered antidepressants rather than first-line treatment, which is HRT,’ says Diane Danzebrink, a psychotherapist and founder of Menopause Support. Mandatory GP education is the aim, supported by her #MakeMenopauseMatter in healthcare, the workplace and education petition, which has nearly reached its 150,000 target. Click here for more info.
The Menopause Podcast To Listen To
The Mid.Point by Gabby Logan
A year ago, 48-year-old TV presenter and podcast host Gabby Logan found out her hormone levels had dropped dramatically after a doctor requested a blood test to check her hormone levels. She learnt her dry skin and lack of energy were symptoms of perimenopause and that taking bio-identical hormones could help her feel ‘like myself again.’ Gabby’s podcast addresses what it means to be at the halfway stage of your life. ‘It’s about arming people with knowledge,’ she says. ‘You know that anxiety you’re feeling? Well, actually you don’t need to go on antidepressants, this is to do with your hormones. Let’s have a look at your hormones.’ She talks to well-known faces about midlife challenges and expectations and draws advice from sleep gurus, nutritionists and doctors specialising on hormone treatment. Click here to listen.
The Menopause Book To Read
‘Perimenopause Power: Navigating Your Hormones’ by Maisie Hill
Need a straightforward and no-nonsense book about hormones, insomnia, mood changes, hot flushes and night sweats? This is it. ‘Perimenopause is likely to start in your forties, but for some it will begin in your thirties,’ explains author Maisie Hill, a women’s health expert who has written this informative must-read for any woman. ‘It can last as little as two years or as long as 12, and if more of us were aware of the subtleties of the transition, we’d recognise the hallmark signs of our hormones shifting far sooner and actually be able to do something about it.’ Click here to buy.
The Menopause Specialist Gabby Turned To
The Harper Clinic
After realising that she was perimenopausal, Gabby Logan turned to Dr Shahzadi Harper, the Harley Street menopause and perimenopause specialist. You too can schedule an appointment to learn more about your own hormonal health. ‘Sexy, confident, strong… not words we generally use to describe how we feel when menopause hits us. But they could be… they should be!’ says Dr Harper, a firm believer that age shouldn’t define us. Click here for more info.
The Menopause Documentary To Watch
Davina McCall: Sex, Myths and the Menopause
Davina has done more for the menopause than anyone else. She smashed the stigma and bust midlife taboos about sex and hormone treatment in her one-hour documentary. ‘I’m not going to be ashamed about a transition that half the population goes through,’ says Davina frankly in her talked about show. ‘When I hit menopause, I couldn’t talk to anyone. I felt so alone. But now I feel like we are part of a national conversation and our voices are getting louder.’ Watch it and make the men in your family watch it too. Click here to watch.
The Supplement To Take
MenoPrime
Gabby recommends taking Menoprime to reduce hot flushes, mood swings and vaginal dryness. The hormone-free formula is created to help you have a comfortable transition through menopause and perimenopause. It is plant-based and includes Siberian Rhubarb extract, considered a non-hormonal alternative to HRT. One small table can (we hear) make a difference to every day. Click here to buy.
Menopause In The Workplace Guidelines To Learn
Studies have shown that menopausal women are the fastest growing demographic in the workforce. It often hits at a critical career stage, between the ages of 45 and 55, and has a significant impact on performance and attendance in the workplace. And yet, few offices know how to talk about menopause at work. This menopause at work guidance can help employers and managers support their staff. Click here for more info.
The Community Hub For Midlife Women
MPowered Women
Anxious? Losing confidence? Confused about HRT? And sex? Intimidated by it all? This welcoming online community hub of doctors, wellbeing experts and women is a goldmine of reassuring nuggets. ‘It’s a place where women come together to talk frankly and share experiences, because when women unite to help and inform each other, magic happens,’ says the site which was founded by Saska Graville, former deputy editor of Red and Juliet Warkentin, a communications strategist. Click here for more info.
The Menopausing Sweatshirt to wear
Wear it proudly. Davina’s Menopausing Sweatshirt has been boldly described as ‘the sweatshirt that stopped the nation’. Where are my keys? It’s hot. Did I already tell you that? If those words resonate with your internal dialogue, you’ll love this menopause sweatshirt designed by Davina as part of her wider goal to amplify the menopause conversation. ‘I got in touch with them (Crudely Dawn) a few weeks ago with a sweatshirt idea and they made it for me!!!,’ says Davina. Click here to buy.
By Annabel Jack
July 2021
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