'Next Gen Menopause': from silence to anxiety - and onto empowerment
Millennials have unprecedented access to information
Katie Taylor visited six medical specialists over a four year period to get to the root cause of symptoms including brain fog, heart palpitations and low mood.
When she finally got diagnosed as perimenopausal in 2016, she describes the relief as immense.
“I cried and cried, both because I’d finally got a diagnosis,” she told me, “but also through anger that it had taken so long and no one had connected the dots.”
Katie wanted to pass on what she’d learnt and support others to advocate for themselves. She set up a facebook group, 1,000 women joined overnight, and today Katie runs ‘The Latte Lounge’ a community for women in midlife that now reaches over 70,000.
Katie’s experience back in 2016 exemplifies the historical lack of awareness surrounding menopause. But in the last few years, the landscape of menopause has rapidly evolved, especially for millennial women approaching perimenopause. What was once a topic shrouded in silence has now become a source of overwhelming information.
The millennial menopause experience
Millennials are facing a unique challenge when it comes to menopause. Unlike previous generations, they now have unprecedented access to information that is both empowering and anxiety-inducing.
A recent survey by Carrot Fertility found that while over half (51%) of millennial women are already familiar with the transition period into menopause called perimenopause, two-thirds (66%) are worried about the mental health and emotional impact of menopause.
Dubbed the ‘Anxious Millenopause’ by Wrapp Consulting’s Hannah Wrathall, the majority of respondents in her research said that information they consumed about menopause in the media or on social media was negative.
Marleen ten Damme, founder of the Netherlands-based menopause platform Vi Health, agrees:
"We've observed a significant rise in anxiety among women in perimenopause or approaching it, also amongst millennials. This generation has access to an abundance of information, both online and in media, which can be overwhelming."
Information overload and confusion
Conflicting narratives about menopause have compounded confusion.
Dr. Naomi Potter, a menopause specialist and founder of Menopause Care clinics, highlights this issue:
"I recently did a talk where the audience was aged 45-48 on average, and there was a lot of fear in the room from being completely confused by all of the information.
There's information everywhere and women don't know who to believe. They will look up ten health professionals, ten health coaches, ten supplements, ten companies, and everybody tells them something different. So it can be really confusing."
The workplace impact
Milliennials are fast realising that menopause could impact the lives they live right now.
Marleen explains:
“In the past, menopause was often associated with old age—a milestone far in the distance. Now, women in their late 30s and 40s are realising that perimenopause can begin earlier than expected, and they’re faced with the reality of managing symptoms while still in the midst of their careers and active lives.
“This shift in perception can be jarring, as it challenges previous assumptions that menopause is something that happens much later in life.”
With that timeline fast approaching one area of particular concern is in the workplace. Thanks to an effort to get menopause on the radar of employers, there’s been a number of high-profile reports on the topic, including data showing that 10% of women have quit their job because of menopause.
While this work has been necessary, it’s indirectly left a new generation of women now fearing for the cost to their careers.
Carrot’s survey revealed that 61% of millennials believe menopause will affect their work performance.
And as a result, 70% of millennial respondents already say they would consider changing at least one aspect of the work environment to help manage menopause symptoms.
Shifting the narrative: from anxiety to empowerment
2024 marks an opportunity for the narrative around menopause to shift once more - this time to a more balanced approach.
At Vi Health for example, ten Damme is placing emphasis on both education and empowerment. The platform, which works with both employers and via large insurers to create supportive workplaces, has been prioritising education about biological changes, focusing on self-care and agency, normalising conversations about menopause and creating community and support networks.
"Our core philosophy is to provide a balanced and supportive approach to menopause. We believe in addressing the realities head-on while simultaneously reframing the narrative to emphasise empowerment and control."
Here in the UK, Gen-M - an organisation introducing the ‘MTick’ as a trusted symbol for hundreds of ‘menopause-friendly’ products in the UK is launching a campaign ‘Live Your Best Menopause’. The campaign will seed ‘a rhetoric of thriving instead of one of fear’, reframing the positivity of this phase of life and a future where menopause is openly discussed and supported.
Period tracking apps too are harnessing the new-found awareness of menopause to help women to proactively approach symptom management in a familiar way. Clue app’s Perimenopause mode and Flo Health’s perimenopause tracking mean that millennials will be the first generation to benefit from much earlier support.
And whether via an app or through a workplace program or online education, this early intervention could extend not only to symptom management but proactive healthy ageing to mitigate age-related risks of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, cognitive changes and more.
Beyond FemTech
Of course, progress with media narratives and FemTech is undermined unless healthcare professionals are adequately trained and equipped to address menopause-related concerns.
As the first point of call, healthcare providers significantly influence how women perceive and manage the transition. Still however, a 2021 report found that only 59% of UK medical schools included mandatory menopause education in their curriculum. And in the US, less than one in 10 postgrad residents in obstetrics and gynaecology felt adequately prepared to manage women experiencing menopause.
While in the UK campaigners have now called for menopause to be part of health checks at aged 40, women are still often attending multiple appointments to get a diagnosis.
Stories from women who are ignored or dismissed spread online and through media coverage - so continuing to feed the cycle of anxiety for millennials approaching perimenopause too.
Conclusion
Optimistically, the next generation of menopausal women will not experience this phase of life in the same way that that Gen X did. And brands operating in this space need to meet women where they are - more informed than ever before, but concerned. They will need to adapt their messaging and approach to help these women to embrace it, while acknowledging the complexities and individual experiences of each person's journey.
Dr. Potter echoes this sentiment, stressing the importance of a balanced perspective:
"I think it is important to remain positive that the menopause doesn't have to be doom and gloom. And at the same time, we also need to avoid toxic positivity or belittling what some women go through, and that's the challenge."
As the narrative around menopause shifts from anxiety to empowerment, a multi-faceted approach is needed. While there is much to do, that’s already begun. By combining education, support, and innovative solutions, brands and organisations together with healthcare professionals can help millennial women navigate this transition with confidence and ease.
This article was featured in our weekly round-up newsletter of women’s health innovation and FemTech news. Read the full issue here.