Menopause information | Where do young people learn about menopause?
Where do the young find credible menopause information?
To a young person, menopause feels like a lifetime away, it is a distant thought: a detachment that is heightened by the lack of menopause education, absence of research and a culture of silence that surrounds this topic (a trifecta that is unsurprisingly convenient for the patriarchy).
Menopause can feel like the western cultural narrative around ‘Woman’s first death’ could not be further from the deeply insightful ‘Second Spring’ that Traditional Chinese Medicine describes – yet the potential to bridge this gap and rebuild a positive framework around reproductive health is possible, and it lies in the power of young adults.
The conversation around menopause is getting louder but there is still a lot of misinformation, especially in the young. Where do younger people find credible and practical menopause advice?
Let’s build a positive framework around reproductive health
Encountering the menopause is likely to happen much sooner than we think. Although the average age of onset is 51 years in the UK, the transition from peri to post menopause can occur over half of a lifetime, so we inevitably interact with symptomatic people in our workplaces, family and everyday life *1.
Spontaneous premature menopause can also occur in 1% of people with uteri before their 40th birthday, which due to the lack of awareness around it, can be tricky to identify and diagnose. Research has indicated that these cases experience a greater risk of osteoporosis and heart disease, therefore improved menopausal education is essential for public health and wellbeing *2.
Whether we are to confront it directly or through the lives of others, learning about this transition is not only essential to understand upcoming shifts in our body’s routine and hormones, but to support the experience of all women, trans and non-binary folk who bleed.
Navigating this learning is easier said than done - while there are ongoing campaigns for improved menopausal education on school curriculums and in workplaces, there are few resources available that offer young people authentic representations of this midlife journey.
The need for this is more apparent now than ever, for recent market research has indicated that there is a huge gap in the knowledge of young people regarding the menopause *3.
A small survey of 69 young adults (aged 18-35) found that almost two thirds of participants did not feel prepared to experience this transition or support others who will.
Although this figure is worrying, it comes as no surprise, for only 16% of people described education as their primary source of menopausal knowledge, placing a huge responsibility on the media and family to step up in its place.
Almost half of the participants in this study said the media taught them the most about menopause
While recent coverage in the UK has brought the topic into headlines, including Davina McCall’s ‘Sex, Myths and the Menopause’ which shares the experiences of several woman’s battle against shame and misdiagnosis, the majority of TV representation is received via pharmaceutical advertisements. These share a common ideology: the menopause is stressful, draining and requires a ‘fix’.
Although these are common aspects of the menopause, the comparison of symptom severity between cultures shines a massive light on the exploitative nature of the pharmaceutical industry.
Studies have shown that people in areas of the world where ageing is honoured experience less physical suffering than those in male dominated societies, where societal value is determined by youth and fertility potential *4.
The deviation from traditional herbalism to misogynistic capitalism in the West has allowed generations of people to unconsciously absorb negative messaging from companies profiting off their stress and discomfort.
This is clear in the results of the survey, as the negative connotations of menopause were a recurring theme amongst young adults: one shared that “There is a lack of information on how to have a positive experience” while another admits that they “..can’t unlearn my fear of it.”
The sharing of menopausal wisdom within families could, therefore, be the gift that breaks these fearful narratives and cycles, although it is rarely perceived as such. The questionnaire responses reinforced how pivotal conversations with relatives, particularly mothers, is in determining how young adults approach the topic of reproductive health: participants who have openly discusses the menopause within their households felt confident in doing so and enthusiastic about minimising the stigma surrounding aging, menstruation, and sexual health.
In contrast, others who had witnessed their parents dealing with the menopause in silence felt the burden of their shame and did not feel like they were able to talk about it comfortably, providing evidence of how societal prejudices are recycled across generations.
Despite these differences in perceptions, upbringing and media consumption, the majority of young adults shared one thing, and it is by far the most important: over 90% of participants were eager to learn more about the menopause. When asked about their learning preferences, an increase in conversations and resources on social media was the largest request, and luckily for the youths of today, there are already figures taking the Tiktok world by storm.
Dr Nighat Arif (@drnightatarif) is a physician that specialises in women’s health and family planning who shares incredibly accessible infographics and videos about the menopause online. The response from her community outreach is a clear example of how excited people are to finally break the silence on this topic, as well as how valued resources on reproductive health are.
This research demonstrates how the cultural narrative around the menopause needs to be positively rewritten, and there are several steps young people can take to initiate this change.
Increasing pressure to include menopause on curriculums and urging funding towards scientific research is essential work, but the most immediate and impactful actions can be made from within our own circles:
By strengthening intergenerational communication and approaching family members with an open heart and listening ear, we can disrupt the cycles of shame that sexism and capitalism quietly perpetuate.
Sharing this receptivity with other cultures where the menopause is believed to be a step into power will also enable us to relearn our preconceptions of this journey, as well as receive lessons in how to safety use medicinal plants to support it.
Finally, creating a dialogue around the menopause with our friends will help build resilience against the systems that are rooting for our future discomfort, and in doing so create a generation of young adults who are prepared to face the menopause like the midlife metamorphosis it can be.
#midlifemetamorphosis
Florence Coleman has a BSc in Environmental Science.
Many young adults are unaware of the impact that menopause can have on work colleagues and family members. Menopause awareness raising within the workplace can be a positive benefit to all ages and genders.
Contact us to book a call so we can discuss how we can work with your organisation and offer menopause support for all.