World Menopause Day is held every year on October 18.
The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the menopause and the support options available for improving health and wellbeing.
In the lead up to World Menopause Day, healthcare brand Flordis Femular has launched a Menopause Hub for the latest information and resources.
Women’s Health and Reproduction Educator Dr Natasha Andreadis, known as ‘The Fanny Mechanic’, said there were many misconceptions about menopause.
She said the fact that symptoms and timelines can vary considerably from person to person has led her to believe this is a key reason many Australians are still so “menopause ignorant”.
Referencing research commissioned by Flordis Femular, Dr Andreadis said it was “quite disheartening” to find that “women in their 40-50s feel like menopause is still a taboo topic that can’t be discussed in day-to-day life”.
“For women, this is a pivotal time in their lives that they should be able to embrace with freedom and empowerment,” she said.
“Research has found that in reality, they believe they will be perceived as old, less valuable (due to their inability to have children) or not as attractive as they once were. And with the general population reinforcing these sentiments, it truly shows that misinterpretations of menopause are having an impact, by continuing to fuel the stigma and drive these feelings in women.”
When it comes to menopause, Dr Andreadis stressed that there is no set framework for how each woman will experience it, but instead, should become as menopause aware as possible and be on the lookout for symptoms of perimenopause as they hit their 40s, so they can combat it effectively.
The hub will also be hosting a free consumer webinar this November led by industry experts, which is open to all women looking for guidance on their menopause journey.
The theme for World Menopause Day 2021 is Bone Health.