More women discuss menopause in the workplace, but providers fall short
Sixty-nine percent of respondents said they knew about menopause from first-hand research, which speaks to the availability of self-education materials.
Big changes in the ways women think about menopause will push benefit providers and employers to adapt. According to Bonafide Health’s 4th Annual State of Menopause Study, 67% of women have talked to a health care provider about their menopause symptoms, a 14% increase from last year. Unfortunately, however, the data also reveals that providers have not stepped up to meet women’s increased interest and concern in menopause.
It’s important to note that the study, which surveyed 2,013 U.S. based women, aged 40-64, experiencing symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, showed a lot of encouraging progress over prior years. Overall, menopause seems to be considerably less stigmatized than before with 64% of respondents reported openly discussing menopause with friends and family, a 12% increase over last year. What’s more, 69% said they knew about menopause from first-hand research, which speaks to the availability of self-education materials.
A surprising takeaway from the study is just how big the generation gap between Gen X and millennial women is when it comes to menopause. According to the survey, Women 40-49 are 4x more likely to turn to consumer tech for menopause support, with 29% indicating they use mobile apps, a digital health care platform or wearable technology to monitor symptoms, as opposed to only 7% aged 50+.
Beyond different approaches to managing menopause, the different age cohorts report different levels of distress in going through menopause: Women aged 40-49 are 50% more likely to feel hopeless. It’s possible this is due to social differences between the two groups, or that the initial onset of symptoms during perimenopause are more difficult than later ones.
Unfortunately, while younger middle-aged women may have become more comfortable discussing menopause and interested in mitigating its symptoms, the data shows that providers and health educators disappoint them. Thirty-six percent of respondents reported receiving conflicting medical advice from different providers, with a significant increase (41%) in women who feel dismissed by their HCPs.
For a significant portion of middle-aged American women, issues related to menopause impact their decisions beyond health care. Specifically, 2 out of 5 respondents said funding for women’s health research would influence how they’d vote this year. Moreover, 66% said they’d buy from a brand that invests in menopause research.
Related: Why workplace menopause support is overdue and 10 ways an LSA can help
When asked about the study’s findings, Kate Jamieson, VP of eCommerce and Marketing at Bonafide Health, emphasized generational shifts in attitudes about menopause and how they are women’s workplace preferences.
“Women 40-49 are seemingly more affected by the menopause transitional experience, demonstrating that perimenopause may be the more difficult portion of this phase of life. They feel less prepared, more likely to feel hopeless and are experiencing more notable negative impacts in the workplace, specifically related to performance and ambition,” says Jamieson. “More than half of women want more support at work and they are gravitating to companies and organizations that dedicate time and money to conducting women’s health research.”