Women's Midlife Health Policy Institute Releases New Report and Action Plan for October's Menopause Awareness Month

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Women's Midlife Health Policy Institute (WMHPI) today released a new report from its Women's Midlife Health Summit held in Washington, D.C., in March 2024, which brought together more than 75 leading women's health advocacy stakeholders, women's health advocates, and clinicians in an inclusive and facilitated process to uncover opportunities for a shared policy agenda and action plan. The National Menopause Foundation (NMF), a leading nonprofit in women's health, created the Women's Midlife Health Policy Institute (WMHPI) in the fall of 2023 to advance research, education, and policies that improve the health and wellbeing of women at midlife and beyond.

Approximately 75 million women in the U.S. are currently perimenopausal, menopausal, or postmenopausal. In fact, 1.3 million women enter menopause each year in the U.S. and will likely spend one-third to one-half of their lives postmenopausal,[1] yet their health needs are often ignored or dismissed. The goal of the Women's Midlife Health Summit was to foster collective action and recognize the interconnectedness of issues like osteoporosis, heart health, and menopause, with the aim to develop a unified strategy that addresses the broad spectrum of women's health needs at midlife.

There were four overarching goals identified in the report:

• Raise national awareness about women's midlife health, the menopause transition, and menopausal symptoms to destigmatize this natural stage of life and educate women about increased health risks.
• Enhance clinician education and support to ensure comprehensive, informed care for women at midlife and those experiencing menopausal symptoms.
• Reform health insurance practices to include better coverage of midlife and menopause-related health needs.
• Cultivate workplace environments that acknowledge and actively support women's midlife health, contributing to greater job satisfaction and retention, and to pursue legislation to create fair workplace policies for women at midlife.

"The health needs of women at midlife can no longer be ignored," said Claire Gill, founder and president of the National Menopause Foundation. "The number of midlife women in the workforce, leading households, caring for children and aging parents demands that we do more to address their health needs. It's incumbent upon all women's health advocates and organizations to collaborate on key issues in order to improve the health outcomes and quality of life for all women at midlife and beyond. We're grateful to be part of this process and ready to bring about positive change."

The full report and action plan can be found on the NMF website. NMF invites all stakeholders in women's midlife health to share their interest in participating in one of four Working Groups that the WMHPI will convene to address the opportunities and barriers to women's midlife health discussed during the Summit and included in this paper. For more information contact [email protected].

About the National Menopause Foundation
The National Menopause Foundation was established by and for women to create an informed community where women can learn, exchange information, find support, and be inspired as they approach and journey through menopause. Our mission is to be a trusted and relatable resource raising awareness and understanding of menopause through education, activism, and community building. NMF will unveil a brand refresh for World Menopause Day on October 18, 2024. Thank you for your patience as our refresh is a work in progress.

Contact:
Claire Gill
9173277916
[email protected]

¹ Peacock K, Carlson K, Ketvertis KM. Menopause. [Updated 2023 Dec 21]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507826/

SOURCE National Menopause Foundation