FERNWOOD FITNESS - PULSE eMagazine - Issue#14 - Flipbook - Page 17
Have you
noticed the
recent media
buzz about
perimenopause
and menopause?
What was once a
shameful taboo
has now become a
liberating war-cry,
as women raise their
voices to demand
better information
and support. It’s
even making waves
in Parliament House;
a Senate Inquiry
into the issues of
perimenopause and
menopause was
underway, with
findings handed down
in September 2024.
So, what’s the big deal
about menopause? Is it
just a life stage - a
woman’s rite of passage
into older age?
Historically,
menopause was
referred to as “the
change,” aka “kiss
your youth and
vitality goodbye.”
Menopausal women
have been comically
portrayed as cranky,
overheated banshees,
striking fear into the
hearts of all who
encounter them.
However, for those
who experience
severe symptoms, it’s
far from hilarious.
Menopause Basics
Most women will run
out of eggs and stop
ovulating between
the ages of 45 and
55, although 10% will
be older or younger,
and 1% will be below
age 40. Menopause
can occur naturally or
because of medical or
surgical treatment. The
hormonal chaos that
often precedes actual
menopause is known
as “perimenopause,”
and for some people,
it is worse than
menopause itself. The
total time from the
昀椀rst perimenopausal
hormonal changes until
things 昀椀nally settle
down post-menopause
is known as the
“menopausal transition.”
About 80% of people
born with ovaries
will have symptoms
associated with
the menopausal
transition, and 20%
will experience quite
signi昀椀cant symptoms.
The good news is
that we now have
a great range of
well-tested, low-risk,
and very effective
treatment options to
help manage them.
Forget the scary stuff
you may have heard
about HRT (hormone
replacement therapy)
20 years ago; much
of it was misleading
and has now been
discredited. The key
message here is to
speak to a health
professional who
is knowledgeable
about menopause
treatments and get
the right information
for your individual
circumstances.
