Mature women’s health: an equity issue

Menopause is a quality of life issue.

Imagine -

You’ve hit your stride in your midlife. You’re balancing obligations – family, career, friends, and more.

Then it all falls apart.

All of a sudden, you break out into hot flashes during important meetings and social events. You start having mood swings you can't explain and your loved ones start to sidestep you at home. You can't sleep. You can't focus. And you feel like you have nowhere to turn.

This is what happens to millions of women worldwide: menopause

At Sinai Health, we understand that mature women face a new set of health challenges.

They range from cardiovascular aging, hypertension, high cholesterol and cognition issues, to conditions affecting the bladder, sleep, mood, bones and sexual desire. Discussing these issues with family, friends, or even a medical professional can feel challenging, because of the stigma associated with menopause and aging.

That’s why we’re launching an unprecedented effort to raise funds for a Centre for Mature Women’s Health. It will address the entire spectrum of health challenges that women face as they age. It will also work to combat the stigma faced by far too many women experiencing menopause and related health issues.

The centre will be the most comprehensive of its kind in the world, offering unmatched depth and breadth of clinical care, research, advocacy and education in mature women’s health. This is what’s needed to address the gaps in care that mature women currently face, and with your help, we can get there.

The numbers…

1/3

A third of women 40+ say that they don’t know that treatment options exist for menopause and perimenopause.

1/2

Only half of women 40+ have consulted their doctor about menopause/perimenopause and pelvic floor disorders. And of them, only half were prescribed treatment.

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Almost half of women have not heard of pelvic floor disorders, yet 50% of women over age 50 will suffer from one.

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More than half of women 40+ haven't talked to their doctor about menopause/perimenopause symptoms, largely because they believe what they are experiencing is "normal”, they had no reason to or didn’t see a need.

90%

About 90% of Women 40+ say they are comfortable talking about their perimenopause symptoms with a doctor, yet less than half have actually spoken to their doctor about their symptoms.

Understanding the numbers.

To understand the consistent lack of information, access to treatment and stigma around discussing mature women’s health, Sinai Health Foundation worked with Nanos Research to conduct a survey of more than 1,200 women in Canada 40 years of age or older. Email Sinai Health Foundation for the full report.

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