A survey of more than 4,000 women in the UK, aged 45-55, who are currently or have experienced perimenopause or menopause, also found that 14% of women had reduced their working hours, 14% had gone on a part-time basis and 8% had not applied for a promotion. The research was supported by the Fawcett Society, which has produced a report entitled “Menopause And The Workplace”. There are reports that the government is committed to addressing the shortage of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs – used to combat menopausal symptoms – that make some women feel suicidal. Health Minister Sajid Javid announced in April that he would appoint an HRT tsar to help improve supply in both the short and long term. Recent data show that the number of HRT prescriptions in the UK has doubled in the last five years, but stocks are running low. Women are reportedly now sharing their prescriptions, and some are said to be committing suicide because of the debilitating symptoms of menopause they suffer without the drug. Image: There is a lack of hormone replacement therapies like this gel Meanwhile, the report found that 45% of women surveyed said they had not spoken to anyone in their menopause clinic and even among women with five or more severe symptoms, 29% had not spoken to their doctor or a nurse. About 31% of women surveyed agreed that it took several appointments for their doctor to realize they were experiencing menopause or perimenopause, increasing to 45% among women of different ethnic backgrounds and 42% among women with five or more severe symptoms. Only 39% of women who spoke to a doctor or nurse said they had been offered HRT as soon as they were diagnosed with menopause. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:15 Lack of HRT medicine Fawcett Society CEO Jemima Olchawski said: “Menopausal women are experiencing unnecessary misery and it is a national scandal. “From long waits for proper care, to uniforms that cause unnecessary inconvenience – women are badly disappointed. “Very often the symptoms of menopause have been dismissed as a joke and HRT has been described as a lifestyle drug. But with 44% of women experiencing three or more serious symptoms, our research helps dispel this nonsense. “Faced with this misinformation, is it strange that only half of women seek help from their doctor?” He added: “The government needs to make urgent changes, from requiring employers to have menopause action plans, to paving the way for menopausal health care, to ensuring that doctors are adequately trained to diagnose its symptoms. menopause. “For too long, menopause has been stigmatized, we need to break the culture of silence and ensure that menopausal women are treated with the dignity and support they deserve instead of waiting to continue.” The findings will be presented in a Channel 4 documentary entitled Davina McCall: Sex, Mind And The Menopause at 9pm on Monday.
