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Menopause shouldn't be a taboo, and everyone should feel they can have a conversation with their line manager, especially when they need guidance and advice. But how confident do you think a member of your team would feel to talk to you about the menopause? has shown that almost a million women have left their job because of menopausal symptoms while CIPD research shows that around one in six people (17%) have considered leaving work due to a lack of support in relation to their menopause symptoms.

Often a few simple changes to the working environment can make a world of difference - even just talking about the menopause openly can reduce the impact of some symptoms and enable people to continue performing well in their roles. Line managers play a vital role in supporting colleagues with menopausal symptoms and t his guide will help you to:

be confident about your role in managing and supporting colleagues with menopausal symptoms

understand and reduce the barriers that could potentially prevent a colleague going through the menopause transition from performing and/or developing to their full potential

identify appropriate workplace changes or adjustments to support team members and help them thrive at work

foster an inclusive working environment in which everyone is treated fairly.

Please note
While we predominantly talk about women in relation to the menopause in this guidance, we also recognise that it can impact some transgender and non-binary people who will require support and flexibility relevant to their needs.

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CIPD | The menopause at work: guidance for line managers

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This page provides guidance for line managers to effectively manage and support women going through the menopause at work

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Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland

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Menopause and the workplace - Resource pack - Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland

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The symptoms of menopause can have a real and detrimental impact on women, and those who experience menopause, in the workplace. It is important that they are offered workplace support – as well as line managers and employers so that they are able to provide it. In the run up to World Menopause Day…

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House of Commons Committee Report: Menopause and the Workplace

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House of Commons Committee Report: Menopause and the Workplace

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Peppy Health Blog: Hidden costs of menopause

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Peppy Health Blog: Hidden costs of menopause

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It's no secret that not offering menopause support carries a high price tag for businesses. But our latest research shows that the potential costs of menopause to the UK economy could be even greater than we'd originally thought.

The UK Parliament's 'Menopause and the workplace' report cites 14 million working days lost each year to menopause, which equates to £1.88 billion in lost productivity.

Peppy's recent research suggests that even this sizeable figure could be falling short of the real cost of menopause to businesses.

To set the scene, let's remind ourselves of some menopause facts:
Perimenopause:

Literal translation: "around menopause".

This is the time when a person's body is making the transition to menopause, often accompanied by physical and emotional symptoms.

Usually begins in a woman's 40s and lasts a number of years.

Menopause:

Literal translation: "end of monthly cycles".

This is the point of time 12 consecutive months after a person's last period.

The average age of menopause is 51.

Postmenopause:

The time after menopause, when a person hasn't experienced a period in over a year.

Some people continue to experience symptoms of menopause after this time.

Symptoms of menopause include...
The cost of £1.88 billion per year to the UK economy is based on women aged between 50-64, on the basis that they spend on average 0.51 hours a week alleviating symptoms.

Crucially though, a study of over 21,000 users on the Peppy app has shown that symptoms of support-seeking individuals between ages 40-49 are almost equally as severe and debilitating as symptoms of women aged 50+, and have just as detrimental an impact on productivity and taking time off sick.

If we assume the cost of menopause in the workplace for women aged 50-64 to be £1.88 billion and extend this out to include women age 40-64, adjusting the cost in line with the average symptom severity of support-seeking women by age group, we can estimate an additional £1.02 billion in lost productivity and time off sick due to menopause symptoms.
This takes the total potential business cost of menopause and perimenopause to £2.9 billion per annum - the equivalent to 22 million working days lost, every year. It begs the question: from government to employers, are we thinking about menopause a decade too late?
Our research has also revealed that 70% of support-seeking employees say their performance at work has been negatively impacted by menopause symptoms. And, that regardless of age or stage of menopause, the more severe menopause symptoms are, the more impaired individuals feel their work is.

In summary, perimenopause symptoms experienced by support-seeking women aged 40-49 can be just as severe and debilitating as those experienced by women aged 50+.

The good news for cost- and health-conscious businesses is that there is a solution: specialised menopause support has been shown to improve symptom severity dramatically in just 6 months. Plus, the more supported help-seeking employees feel, the less they think about reducing their working hours or quitting their jobs.

Now is the time to support every employee who will face, has faced or is in the full throws of experiencing menopause. Offering inclusive, specialised support is a small price to pay to solve a potentially big problem.

Original research by Health & Her Ltd., detailed by the UK Parliament 'Menopause and the workplace' report [ MEW0054]; the submission explained that Censuswide on behalf of Health & Her surveyed 1000 women aged between 50 - 64 and calculated this on the basis of 0.51 hours in a week spent alleviating symptoms* 48 weeks in the year = 24.48 hours spent alleviating symptoms. 24.48 hours * 4,357,000 working women aged 50-64 in the UK (ONS) = 106,659,360 hours / 7.5 hours (working day) = 14,221,248 working days.

Workings by Peppy:

Our sample:

above 50 = 58.81%

below 49 = 41.19%

39 and below = 2.81%

40-49 = 38.38%. (

50-65 = 58.56%

>66 = 0.25%

MRS by age group

group: < 39

n mean sd

606 13.22 10.19

------------------------------------

group: >66

n mean sd

54 18.93 7.62

------------------------------------

n mean sd

8266 16.8 7.58

------------------------------------

n mean sd

12612 18.77 7.08I

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A decade too late? The hidden costs of menopause - Peppy Health

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The latest from Peppy reveals the hidden costs of menopause to the UK economy - and they could be even greater than we'd originally thought.

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MIPO menopause friendly checklist for existing policies

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MIPO menopause friendly checklist for existing policies

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1. Overview

As an employer, you're required by law to protect your employees, and others, from harm.

Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the minimum you must do is:

identify what could cause injury or illness in your business (hazards)

decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously (the risk)

take action to eliminate the hazard, or if this isn't possible, control the risk

Assessing risk is just one part of the overall process used to control risks in your workplace.

For most small, low-risk businesses the steps you need to take are straightforward and are explained in these pages.

If your business is larger or higher-risk, you can find detailed guidance here.

If you're self-employed, check if health and safety law applies to you.

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Managing risks and risk assessment at work

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As an employer, you must make a 'suitable and sufficient assessment' of risks to your employees' health and safety, and risks to others because of your work

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Fawcett Society Report: Menopause and the Workplace

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Fawcett Society Report: Menopause and the Workplace

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Access to Work: get support if you have a disability or health condition

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Get help at work, including an Access to Work grant, if you have a disability or health condition - eligibility, how to apply.

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Example policy: NHS Scotland Menopause Policy

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Example policy: NHS Scotland Menopause Policy

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Menopause at Work - Menopause Information Pack for Organizations

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Menopause | Menopause Information Pack for Organizations | Australia

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It's important for employers to support staff through every stage of the menopause. Having early and regular follow-up conversations with staff to understand their needs can help make sure support and procedures are in place so they can continue to do their job effectively.
Find out how to talk with staff about the menopause
Employers should consider how the person's job role and responsibilities could make their menopause symptoms harder to deal with, for example if:

they work long shifts

they cannot take regular toilet breaks

their job requires restrictive clothing

their job does not have much flexibility

There are several steps employers can take to make sure they have early conversations with staff and find solutions before problems arise.

Training managers

It can give staff more confidence to talk to their managers about the effects of the menopause on their work if they know the managers are trained to:

talk and listen sensitively

find ways to give support

have knowledge of the menopause and its effects

know what support and guidance the organisation can offer

Employers should train all managers, supervisors and team leaders to make sure they understand:

how to talk with and encourage staff to raise any menopause concerns

how different stages and types of menopause can affect staff

what support and workplace changes are available for staff

how to deal with menopause issues sensitively and fairly

gender identity and gender reassignment discrimination and how talking with staff about this is important

how the law relates to the menopause

Carrying out health and safety checks

By law, employers are responsible for the health and safety of all staff, including those working from home.

Employers must conduct a risk assessment of their staff's work and workplace, including any work from home. This includes:

generally assessing health and safety risks at work

minimising, reducing and where possible removing health and safety risks for staff

For staff affected by the menopause this includes:

ensuring menopause symptoms are not made worse by the workplace or its work practices

making changes to help staff manage their symptoms when doing their job

For the menopause, a risk assessment should include, for example:

the temperature and ventilation of the workplace

the material and the fit of the organisation's uniform, if there is one, and whether it might make staff going through the menopause feel too hot or worsen skin irritation

whether there's somewhere suitable for staff to rest if needed, for example a quiet room

whether toilet facilities are easily accessible

whether cold drinking water is available

whether managers and supervisors have been trained on health and safety issues relating to the menopause

Find out more about risk assessments on the Health Safety Executive website
Employers should review risk assessments regularly to make sure their staff's working environments remain safe and healthy.

It's important for employers to make sure that staff know they can approach their managers to raise any health and safety issues and will not be treated less fairly if they do.

Developing a menopause policy

To help staff feel supported it's a good idea to have a policy specifically for the menopause.

Having a menopause policy can help everyone in the organisation understand:

what the menopause is and how it can affect people

how it affects everyone differently

what support is available to staff affected by it

The menopause policy could also:

explain what training is provided to managers, supervisors and team leaders

explain who the organisation's point of contact is for queries related to the menopause

show how the organisation is open and trained to talk and listen sensitively about the effects of the menopause

include information on gender identity and gender reassignment discrimination and how talking with staff about this is important

Even if there is a policy, employers should make some allowances when supporting staff through the menopause because everyone's experience will be different.

You should also review any current health and safety policy to make sure it covers sex and gender-related issues, such as the menopause.

Managing sickness absence and job performance

Because the menopause is long term and affects everyone differently, managing absence from work should be handled sensitively.

Employers should keep talking with their staff and be prepared to:

make changes to help staff continue to work

take into consideration any performance issues which might be because of menopause symptoms

It's a good idea for employers to talk to staff about any reasonable adjustments that could help them do their job. Staff should also be given a reasonable amount of time to adjust to any changes made.

When someone is off sick because of the menopause, the employer should record these absences separately from other absences. This is because there may be times when it could be unfair or discriminatory to measure menopause-related absence as part of the person's overall attendance record.

It's also good practice for an employer to allow staff to go to medical appointments related to the menopause. There is no law for this type of time off, but employees and workers might have a right to paid or unpaid time off written in their employment contracts.

Employers must not discriminate against someone because of their menopause symptoms.
Read more about how menopause relates to the law
Having menopause and wellbeing champions

Having a menopause or wellbeing champion at work could help people affected by the menopause. The champion could be a point of contact if staff need advice, or someone to initially talk to if they are not comfortable talking to their managers.

With support from the champion, employers, HR and managers could:

run workshops in the organisation to raise awareness among staff

let all staff know that the employer will try to support those having difficulties because of symptoms, for example through posters or newsletters

check that health and safety risk assessments cover the different stages of the menopause

set up a support network for staff affected by the menopause

tell staff where they can find more information

It's also important that employers raise awareness among staff that they will handle menopause in the workplace sensitively, and with dignity and respect.

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It's important for employers to support staff through every stage of the menopause. Having early and regular follow-up conversations with staff to understand their needs can help make sure support and procedures are in place so they can continue to do their job effectively.

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NHS Employers Health & Wellbeing Passport

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NHS Employers Health & Wellbeing Passport

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BSI standard: Menstrual and menopausal health

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BSI standard: Menstrual and menopausal health

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bs 30416 menstruation menstrual health and menopause in the workplace

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BS 30416:2023 Menstruation, Menstrual Health, Menopause

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BS 30416 provides essential guidance for workplaces, supporting employees experiencing menstruation or menopause, to improve inclusivity. Learn more.

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Open Learn free course: effective communication in the workplace

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Open Learn free course: effective communication in the workplace

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Effective communication in the workplace

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effective communication in the workplace

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Effective communication in the workplace

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This free course, Effective communication in the workplace, explores the importance of communication as a skill in the workplace. It aims to increase your understanding of communication skills and ...

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**For people working in health and social care**. Leading with kindness and compassion: free course

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**For people working in health and social care**. Leading with kindness and compassion: free course

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With so many overlapping pressures facing the health and social care system, and the inequities that many groups continue to experience, kindness and compassion are qualities that can be hard to practice and sustain.

Research has shown a compelling link between compassion in leadership and staff wellbeing, team performance, and better outcomes for patients and service users. The NHS People Plan even recognises compassion as a national priority.

As well as deepening your understanding and knowledge of leadership in the health and care system, this course will also help you develop your own practice of kind and compassionate leadership.

You'll hear from leaders and experts from across the health and care system and explore some practical ways that you can both develop a compassionate mindset and cultivate kindness and compassion in your relationships with others.

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Leading With Compassion | Free Course | The King's Fund

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Develop your understanding of how to lead with compassion and kindness within the health and social care sectors on this free online course.

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Business in the Community: Menopause in the Workplace

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Business in the Community: Menopause in the Workplace

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NHS Tayside Health and Work Team: Facebook page

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NHS Tayside Health and Work Team: Facebook page

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NHS Tayside Health and Work Team. 731 likes · 5 talking about this. Working with you for better health, safety and wellbeing in the workplace

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Menopause is when a woman stops having periods. Menopause means 'the last menstrual period'. It's not only those who identify as women who will experience menopause. Some transgender men, non-binary people and intersex people or people with variations in sex characteristics may also experience menopause.

Menopause is a natural event and transition that women experience, however, the timing and symptoms are different for everyone. You can look at your family history to get an idea of when you might go through it. It's likely to be a similar age to when your mother or older sisters started theirs.

Menopause can also occur due to certain surgeries or cancer treatments. This can sometimes cause symptoms to be more sudden and in some cases more severe.

Perimenopause is the time from the start of menopausal symptoms until after a woman has experienced her last period. Periods will usually start to become less frequent over a few months or years before they stop altogether. They might be more irregular and become heavier or lighter. For some women, they can stop suddenly.

Postmenopause is the time after a woman experiences her last period. A woman is said to be postmenopausal when she has not had a period for 12 months.

Perimenopause and menopause are a natural part of a woman's life course and usually occur between the ages 45 and 55 years of age, as a woman's oestrogen levels drop ( although it can start earlier). In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach menopause is 51.

Life doesn't have to be put on hold because of menopause. There's a lot that can be done to help manage symptoms, including making healthy lifestyle choices, trying different treatments and seeking support from healthcare professionals.

Symptoms of menopause

Most women will experience menopausal symptoms. Some women will experience few, or no, symptoms. But for some, they can be quite severe and have a significant impact on everyday life.

The first sign of menopause is usually a change in the normal pattern of your periods. You may start having either unusually light or heavy periods.

The frequency of periods may also be affected. They may occur every two or three weeks, or they might not occur for months at a time. Eventually, periods will stop altogether, although for some women other menopause symptoms may continue.

Some women can start experiencing symptoms such as migraines, irritability and low mood especially around the period time, without seeing irregularity in periods.

There are many menopausal symptoms and symptoms can differ between individuals. Some of the most common symptoms include:

'brain fog' and memory issues

difficulty sleeping

fatigue

hot flushes

joint aches

loss of sex drive (libido)

low mood or anxiety

migraine

night sweats

vaginal dryness or pain

Further information about the symptoms of menopause
Causes of menopause

Menopause is caused by a change in the balance of the body's hormones, which occurs as you get older. Premature or early menopause can occur at any age and, in many cases, there's no clear cause.

Menopause happens when the ovaries stop producing as much of the hormone oestrogen and no longer release an egg each month.

Menopause can also occur when a woman's ovaries are affected by certain treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or when the ovaries are removed, often at the time of a hysterectomy.
Further information about early and premature menopause
Treatments for menopausal symptoms

It's important to get healthcare advice around menopause treatments so that you can make the decisions that are best for you.

If you or someone you know does need help to manage symptoms, support can be accessed through your GP practice.

Your healthcare professional can talk to you about treatments and work with you to explore lifestyle changes if you have menopausal symptoms that you feel are interfering with your day-to-day life. These include:
Further information about treating the symptoms of menopause
Menopause and day-to-day life

Menopausal symptoms can sometimes be severe and they could impact day-to-day life. There is help available if you need it.

Mental wellbeing

Menopause can have an effect on your mental health and wellbeing. Some of the symptoms might include irritability, depression and anxiety. Lack of sleep caused by menopause can also have an impact on a person's mood and how they feel.

If you or someone you know is suffering from any of these symptoms and it's having an impact on day-to-day life, discuss it with someone from your local GP practice and they can help you get the support you need.
Further information about mental wellbeing during the menopause
Workplace

Some people find it hard to manage menopause symptoms at work. It's important to remember that the menopause is a normal time in women's lives and that support should be available to help you feel comfortable at work.
Further information about menopause in the workplace
Sex and relationships

Menopause symptoms such as vaginal dryness or pain, reduced sex drive or discomfort during penetrative sex might have an impact on your sex life and relationships.

There are treatment options available that might help ease or manage some of these symptoms. It might also be helpful to discuss how menopause is affecting you with your partner. By helping them have an understanding of what you're experiencing, they'll be more aware of how they can support you.
Further information about sex and intimacy during menopause
Supporting someone through menopause

If you know someone around you is going through menopause, you can let them know that you're there to support them. Ask them what you can do to help, or just ask them how they're feeling. People might not always feel comfortable discussing all of their symptoms, but it's still important to let them know you're there for them.
Further information about how to support someone through menopause
Last updated:
29 November 2022

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An overview of menopause, including signs and symptoms, treatments, myths about menopause and how to manage it in your daily life.

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CPD accredited menopause training

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Menopause at work training, eLearning and resources | 5* rated

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During the Covid-19 outbreak and ongoing Lockdown, vast numbers are working remotely. Here's how working from home is an impact on menopause.

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ACAS menopause in the workplace training

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providing practical information and advice on employment matters for employees and employers in the workplace.

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Championing the Menopause - Menopause Champion Training - Health at Work

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This session is best suited to appointed menopause champions, HR professionals and menopause project sponsors.

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This report explores employees’ experiences of menopause at work and examines the type of adjustment and support that can be most helpful

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This report is based on a survey of over 2,000 women, aged 40 to 60, who are currently employed in the UK and could be experiencing menopause transition. By looking at the type of menopause symptoms being experienced and their impact at work, we explore the difference workplace support can make and the importance of creating a healthy workplace culture.

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Seven winning workplace strategies for managing menopause at work - MENOPAUSE FRIENDLY UK

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Menopause Friendly accreditation, an independent panel supported by the UK’s leading experts. Setting, supporting and celebrating menopause in the workplace best practice.

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We offer educational menopause awareness presentations, webinars and training to ensure that all the members of your team have a thorough understanding of menopause whether it will affect them personally or they may be supporting a colleague, partner, friend or family member.

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Why does menopause matter in the workplace?

There are around 4.9 million women aged 50 and over in employment in the U.K and it is the fastest growing demographic.

Studies have shown that menopause symptoms can have a significant impact on attendance and performance in the workplace.

The 2016 Wellbeing of Women survey revealed that 25% of women going through the menopause had considered leaving work because of their experiences.

Two thirds of women going through the menopause say they have no support in place at work.

Quite simply menopause awareness and support in the workplace is a win-win situation for both employers and employees. Menopause education, information and support can be game changers for staff satisfaction and retention and creating a supportive and informed menopause culture within your organisation.

In a recent IPSOS Mori poll:

Over half of working women aged 40-65 have experienced three or more symptoms of the menopause, including hot flushes (47%), night sweats (41%) and feeling tired (35%).

Two thirds of those with 3 or more symptoms have lost interest in their work or made mistakes.

Half of all women experiencing three or more symptoms have experienced at least one further detrimental impact on their working lives; including having their relationships with colleagues negatively impacted, having to reduce their working hours or considering resigning.

Only around 1 in every 20 women aged 40-65 in work are aware of their employer offering proactive policies or support to women around the menopause.

Six in 10 of those who have experienced 3 or more symptoms would like to see their employer do more while over half say they would feel more positively about a company who had a menopause awareness programme.

Over a third would like their employers to offer access to specialist menopause advice from a third-party expert, 31% would like their employer to offer a menopause policy.

Everybody needs to be better equipped to support their colleagues around the menopause

Nearly half (48%) of women experiencing 3 or more symptoms of menopause have not spoken to anyone at work about their experiences.

Why choose Menopause Support?

Webinars and presentations are hosted by Diane Danzebrink, the founder of Menopause Support.

Menopause Support is a purpose over profit, community interest organisation, so when you engage us to deliver your training you will be supporting our aims to improve menopause education, information, advice and support for everybody.

We offer educational menopause awareness presentations, webinars and training to ensure that all the members of your team have a thorough understanding of menopause whether it will affect them personally or they may be supporting a colleague, partner, friend or family member.

Educational presentations, webinars and training sessions can be made bespoke for your organisation and your proposed audience. Popular options include;
Understanding Menopause Introductory Session Understanding Menopause in Detail Menopause - Question and Answer Session Understanding Menopause and Mental Health Understanding Menopause for Line Managers Understanding Menopause for Men
We also offer Private 1 to 1 consultations - this option can be offered to individual staff members as additional support, further information can be found here

Kind words from some of our clients:
Thank you so much for this session. We got so much out of it and had a great discussion together afterwards I thought it was informative, and I loved Diane's delivery. I had a 121 with Diane, which I found so useful, and I'm grateful to have had this opportunity to chat with her. The session and my 121 with Diane were invaluable. Her guidance was way more than I have ever received from a GP. This was the best session we have ever put on. The feedback from colleagues was very positive. Staff found the webinar very informative. Diane 'normalised' the menopause which staff really related to and we found Diane a very warm and approachable person. I just wanted to say thank you for sorting the meeting with Diane yesterday. She is brilliant. A really helpful, practical and upbeat insight into what menopause really means and how we can help to improve our quality of life when going through it. Today's session was nothing short of life-changing. The last session was excellent. Glad to see one aimed specifically for managers who may not know anything about it or how hard it can affect some women. Absolutely the best session run to date. Have sent her website to a number of friends who are suffering. Wish they could hear her speak too. It was a really worthwhile and informative session. Excellent choice, thank you very much.

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Why does menopause matter in the workplace? There are around 4.9 million women aged 50 and over in employment in the U.K and it is the fastest growing demographic. Studies have shown that menopause symptoms can have a significant impact on attendance and performance in the workplace.

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We have utilised our unique brand of expertise in age related workplace training to develop a skills development workshop for line managers on menopause at work.

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6 in 10 menopausal women say their symptoms have had a negative effect on their working life. We can support you in your journey towards creating a culture of awareness and compassionate management in your workplace.

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NHS Tayside Sexual Health and BBV team: Menopause sessions Padlet

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NHS Tayside Sexual Health and BBV team: Menopause sessions Padlet

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Resources surrounding all areas of menopause (not just related to workplace). Please note this Padlet is not monitored or updated by the Health and Work team.

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How menopause occurs

For most women, menopause is marked by the end of monthly menstruation (also known as a menstrual period or 'period') due to loss of ovarian follicular function. This means that the ovaries stop releasing eggs for fertilisation.

The regularity and length of the menstrual cycle varies across a woman's reproductive life span, but the age at which natural menopause occurs is generally between 45 and 55 years for women worldwide.

Natural menopause is deemed to have occurred after 12 consecutive months without menstruation for which there is no other obvious physiological or pathological cause and in the absence of clinical intervention.

Some women experience menopause earlier (before 40 years of age). This 'premature menopause' may be because of certain chromosomal abnormalities, autoimmune disorders, or other unknown causes.

It is not possible to predict when an individual woman will experience menopause, although there are associations between the age at menopause and certain demographic, health, and genetic factors.

Menopause can also be induced as a consequence of surgical procedures that involve removal of both ovaries or medical interventions that cause cessation of ovarian function (for example radiation therapy or chemotherapy).

Many women have already stopped menstruating before menopause, for example those who have had certain surgical procedures (hysterectomy or surgical removal of their uterine lining) as well as those using certain hormonal contraceptives and other medicines that cause infrequent or absent periods. They may still experience other changes related to the menopausal transition.

Changes associated with menopause

The hormonal changes associated with menopause can affect physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being. The symptoms experienced during and following the menopausal transition vary substantially from person to person. Some have few if any symptoms. For others, symptoms can be severe and affect daily activities and quality of life. Some can experience symptoms for several years.

Symptoms associated with menopause include:

hot flushes and night sweats. Hot flushes refer to a sudden feeling of heat in the face, neck and chest, often accompanied by flushing of the skin, perspiration (sweating), palpitations, and acute feelings of physical discomfort which can last several minutes;

changes in the regularity and flow of the menstrual cycle, culminating in cessation of menstruation;

vaginal dryness, pain during sexual intercourse and incontinence;

difficulty sleeping/insomnia; and

changes in mood, depression, and/or anxiety.

Body composition and cardiovascular risk can also be affected. Women's advantage over men in terms of cardiovascular disease gradually disappears with the significant decline in oestrogen levels after menopause. Menopause can also result in the weakening of the pelvic support structures, increasing the risk of pelvic organ prolapse. Loss of bone density at menopause is a significant contributor to higher rates of osteoporosis and fractures.

There are a variety of non-hormonal and hormonal interventions that can help alleviate symptoms of menopause. Symptoms that impact on health and well-being should be discussed with a health-care provider to identify available management options, with consideration of medical history, values, and preferences.

Pregnancy is still possible during perimenopause. Contraception is recommended to avoid unintended pregnancy until after 12 consecutive months without menstruation. Pregnancy after menopause is unlikely without fertility treatment that involves the use of donor eggs or previously frozen embryos.

During perimenopause and following menopause, it is still possible to acquire sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, through unprotected sexual contact, including oral, anal, and vaginal sex. The thinning of the vaginal wall after menopause increases the chances of lesions and tears, thereby increasing the risk of HIV transmission during vaginal sex.

The importance of understanding menopause

It is critical to see menopause as just one point in a continuum of life stages. A woman's health status entering the perimenopausal period will largely be determined by prior health and reproductive history, lifestyle and environmental factors. Perimenopausal and postmenopausal symptoms can be disruptive to personal and professional lives, and changes associated with menopause will affect a woman's health as she ages. Therefore, perimenopausal care plays an important role in the promotion of healthy ageing and quality of life.

Menopause can be an important transition from a social perspective, as well as a biological one. Socially, a women's experience of menopause may be influenced by gender norms, familial and sociocultural factors, including how female ageing and the menopausal transition are viewed in her culture.

The global population of postmenopausal women is growing. In 2021, women aged 50 and over accounted for 26% of all women and girls globally. This was up from 22% 10 years earlier.[i] Additionally, women are living longer. Globally, a woman aged 60 years in 2019 could expect to live on average another 21 years.[ii]

Menopause can offer an important opportunity to reassess one's health, lifestyle, and goals.

Public health challenges related to menopause

Perimenopausal women need access to quality health services and communities and systems that can support them. Unfortunately, both awareness and access to menopause-related information and services remain a significant challenge in most countries. Menopause is often not discussed within families, communities, workplaces, or health-care settings.

Women may not know that symptoms they experience are related to menopause, or that there are counselling and treatment options that can help alleviate discomfort. Those experiencing menopausal symptoms may feel embarrassed or ashamed to draw attention to their experiences and ask for support.

Health-care providers may not be trained to recognize perimenopausal and post-menopausal symptoms and counsel patients on treatment options and staying healthy after the menopausal transition. Menopause currently receives limited attention in the training curricula for many health-care workers.

The sexual well-being of menopausal women is overlooked in many countries. This means that common gynaecological effects of menopause, including vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse, may go unaddressed. Similarly, older women may not consider themselves at risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV[iii], or may not be counselled by their providers to practice safer sex or get tested.

Many governments do not have health polices and financing for the inclusion of menopause-related diagnosis, counselling, and treatment services as part of their routinely available services. Menopause-related services are a particular challenge in settings where there are often other urgent and competing priorities for health funding.

WHO response

WHO considers that social, psychological and physical health support during the menopausal transition and after menopause should be an integral part of health care. WHO is committed to increasing understanding of menopause by:

raising awareness of menopause and its impact on women at individual and societal levels, as well as on countries' health and socioeconomic development;

advocating for the inclusion of diagnosis, treatment and counselling related to management of menopausal symptoms as part of universal health coverage;

promoting the inclusion of training on menopause and treatment options in pre-service curricula for health workers; and

emphasizing a life course approach to health and well-being (including sexual health and well-being), by ensuring that women have access to appropriate health information and services to promote healthy ageing and a high quality of life before, during and after menopause.

Notes:
1) Whilst the majority of personal experiences with menopause relate to cisgender women (who were born female and identify as female), transgender men and some people who identify as neither men nor women also experience menopause.

This fact sheet refers to "women" in alignment with the available data, which does not routinely identify gender identity. There is a paucity of readily-available data on trans and gender diverse experiences of menopause. Trans and gender diverse people have unique age-related health needs that clinicians should consider, including referral to specialist services when necessary.

2) Although menopause is not a disease, this fact sheet refers to the perimenopausal and postmenopausal experiences of women as symptoms because they can result in a level of discomfort that affects their quality of life.

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This fact sheet explains when and how menopause occurs, changes that are associated with menopause, related public health challenges and WHO's response.

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Henpicked- Navigating Menopause in the Workplace Comic

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Henpicked- Navigating Menopause in the Workplace Comic

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National Wellbeing Hub- Menopause and Menstrual Health: Line Managers Guide

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National Wellbeing Hub- Menopause and Menstrual Health: Line Managers Guide

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National Wellbeing Hub- Menopause and Menstrual Health: Workplace Adjustments Guide

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National Wellbeing Hub- Menopause and Menstrual Health: Workplace Adjustments Guide

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National Wellbeing Hub- Menopause and Menstrual Health: Information and Resources

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National Wellbeing Hub- Menopause and Menstrual Health: Information and Resources

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British Menopause Society- Menopause & Workplace Guidance

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British Menopause Society- Menopause & Workplace Guidance

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Resources to support yourself and your colleagues going through the menopause

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Menopause Workplace Pledge Toolkit - Wellbeing of Women

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Menopause and the Workplace guidance and information

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Menopause in the Workplace - Women’s Health Concern

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Independent advice, reassurance and education to women of all ages about their health, wellbeing and lifestyle concerns

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Menopause Support: Workplace Conversations- YouTube Video

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Menopause Support: Workplace Conversations- YouTube Video

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A short video which recognises the difficulty that can surround having conversations about the menopause in the workplace.

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East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

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Making Workplace Adjustments for the Menopause and Preventing Discrimination- YouTube Video 

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Making Workplace Adjustments for the Menopause and Preventing Discrimination- YouTube Video 

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Advice and suggestions for making menopause-related workplace adjustments and avoiding discrimination.

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Making workplace adjustments for the menopause and preventing discrimination.

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Conversations about the Menopause- YouTube Video 

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Conversations about the Menopause- YouTube Video 

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This video explains how having open conversations about the menopause can help women experiencing menopausal symptoms.

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Information about menopause and work, including things you can do, and support managers and employers can give women

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Would you like to become a menopause mentor within your organisation/workplace?

Are you interested in becoming a menopause mentor? These 4 hour sessions will support participants to share knowledge and resources around the menopause and support others in their organisations and workplaces. It is aimed at non specialist workers and will cover an overview of the menopause & impact on people’s lives and how the information & resources can be shared with a group informally.

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Sexual Health & Blood Borne Viruses Tayside

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Menopause Mentors Sessions | Sexual Health & Blood Borne Viruses Tayside

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2 June 2026 - 7 October 2026 @ All Day - Would you like to become a menopause mentor within your organisation/workplace? Are you interested in becoming a menopause mentor? This 4 hour session will support participants to share knowledge and resources around the menopause and support others in their organisations and workplaces. It is aimed at non specialist workers and will cover an overview of the [...]