Inclusive Menopause
Inclusivity statement
The University of Sussex sometimes uses the terms 'women', 'female' and 'her'. However, we want to be clear that this is inclusive of everyone who goes through the menopause or menopausal symptoms as a result of hormonal changes, for example trans men, and the language used is purely for the flow of the session/section of intranet/workshop. Everyone's experience of menopause is different. We experience different symptoms, have different views or philosophies around how we'd manage them and different medical histories. Different cultures may 'understand' the menopause in different ways too.
The Fawcett Society’s 2022 report Menopause and the Workplace highlights differences in access to care and treatment amongst women in ethnic minorities. These differences include increased rates of reported delayed diagnosis amongst Black and minoritised women (45% compared to 31% in white women), as well as lower rates of HRT uptake (8% compared to 15% in white women).
We recognise that there is still considerable stigma around menopause, particularly for certain groups such as young women, those from different ethnic minority backgrounds and for LGBT+ people and we are mindful that its particularly difficult for some to access support. At Sussex we want to ensure that everyone is included in the conversation about Menopause and everyone has the right access to the support they need.
According to HealthLine, black women may experience more severe menopause symptoms than white women and tend to start menopause at an earlier age. We are including more information about this in our training sessions on Menopause Awareness, particularly for line managers and HR staff.
Please get in touch at od@sussex.ac.uk if you think there are other organisations or support we should be signposting.
The Menopause in Colour – Time for an Inclusive Conversation webinar covers:
- The symptoms of menopause and what the data says about how symptoms may differ by ethnicity
- How culture can impact the taboos around the menopause and what needs to be done to tackle these
- The range of ways to manage symptoms.
Resources:
WellNet We need to talk about the LGBTQ+ Menopause Experience
Queer Menopause: Their mission is to raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ experiences of menopause; to find and promote inclusive menopause resources and to push for better education for therapists and healthcare practitioners about the needs of LGBTQIA+ people in menopause.
For support for LGBTQIA+ people in menopause. This site is for individuals seeking information and support.