IN support of World Menopause Day, HSE Health and Wellbeing in the Mid West recently held a free webinar, Menopause and Me. Almost 380 women joined the webinar on the night and hundreds more have viewed the now-published video.
Anne Ryan, Head of Service for HSE Health and Wellbeing in the Mid West, opened the event by noting that menopause is such a significant part of a woman’s journey in life. She added, “I hope with this event, we can make menopause an easier and more supported journey for women in the Mid West region, where there are almost 59,000 women aged between 45-64 years of age. This is the start of a conversation which I have no doubt will expand into future initiatives.”
Feedback during the webinar indicated that of 170 respondents, 163 said they experienced symptoms described by one of the webinar speakers with 71 of these saying they linked the symptoms to menopause. At another point in the webinar 182 women responded on the severity of symptoms, with a significant majority saying their symptoms were moderate or severe.
Mairead Kelly, HSE Health Promotion Officer with a specific remit for sexual health promotion in the Mid West, says: “We are delighted the webinar was the affirming and empowering conversation for women in the Mid West that we wanted it to be. The feedback from HSE staff and the public has been overwhelmingly positive and the feedback on the night indicates an increase in confidence and knowledge in relation to menopause for those who joined the webinar. The three guest speakers covered a number of important topics that responded to questions that many women experiencing perimenopause and menopause have and many of the questions we received before and during the event. It was especially heartening to see 153 women identify actions they are going to take following the webinar – these included talking to their GP or other health professional, making a lifestyle change, talking to someone about what they learnt at the webinar and talking to family or their partner.”
Dr. Cassie McVeigh gave a very holistic overview of perimenopause and menopause and reminded women that every menopause is different and therefore needs to be responded to and managed differently for each woman. She stated, “It is not just a time to survive, but a time to thrive. It is a good time to take stock, make lifestyle changes and where necessary, get the right professional help.” Dr McVeigh gave an overview of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and other options, including lifestyle changes, to help women.
She concluded: “The good news is that menopause is finally becoming a mainstream topic of conversation. Women are educating themselves and supporting each other, so they no longer have to feel ashamed or isolated or feel like they are giving in by choosing to opt for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).”
“I view menopause as a time for positive change to get ourselves in the best health we can to ensure that we are able to live into old age with the best health possible.”
Charlene Hyland, a physiotherapist with a special interest in women’s health, provided a comprehensive overview of the physical aspects of perimenopause and menopause. She explained how a trained physiotherapist can help with many of the physical symptoms and emphasised the protective role of exercise.
Finally, Dr Nodlaig Moore, a clinical psychologist, explained the psychological aspects of perimenopause and menopause, how we relate to them and therefore, how we manage them. In particular, Dr Moore spoke about memory loss, anxiety and depression and what can help.
The webinar is now available to view on the HSE Health and Wellbeing YouTube channel.
