Although menopause is something that every woman will experience in their lifetime, it’s not often talked about. In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, Progyny hosted an important conversation about menopause with our partners at Midi and Gennev, leading providers of specialized menopause care. The discussion broke down the signs and symptoms, treatment options, and how individuals can find support.
The webinar featured:
- Dr. Kathleen Jordan, MD, Internist, Chief Medical Officer at Midi Health
- Dr. Yashika Dooley, OB/GYN and Urogynecologist at Gennev
- Claudia Zimmerman, Senior Provider Account Manager at Progyny
If you are a Progyny member with access to our menopause and midlife care benefit through your employer, call Progyny at 888.597.5065 to activate your benefit and schedule a virtual appointment with a menopause specialist.
Why Are We Talking About Menopause?
Women or people with ovaries may be familiar with the hormonal transition known as menopause, but our healthcare system is still catching up. Most physicians aren’t trained to manage menopause and the scarcity of menopause-specific provider support can leave those in this phase of life feeling unseen and unprepared. Additionally, there have not historically been benefits, despite the fact that approximately half of the workforce are comprised of women1. It’s important to have these conversations, so we can address the common misconceptions around menopause and barriers to care. At Progyny, we are proud to provide nationwide access to specialized menopause care with our partners Midi Health and Gennev. If you are eligible for the Progyny menopause benefit through your organization, please contact Progyny at 888.597.5065 to learn more.
Signs and Symptoms of Menopause
Menopause is defined as a point in time where you haven’t had menses for 12 months that usually happens during the early 50s2. In the years leading up to this, usually during their 40s, women and people with ovaries experience perimenopause, which is the transitional period leading up to menopause. Menopause typically begins around ages 45-55 but can vary—with some individuals experiencing menopause before the age of 40 (which is called “premature menopause” or “premature ovarian failure”3). During perimenopause, you may experience unpredictable shifts in in your menstrual cycles such as longer or shorter intervals between each period and changes in blood flow.
During both perimenopause and menopause, individuals will experience changes in hormones that can result in a wide variety of symptoms including, but not limited to:
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Insomnia
- Weight gain
- Vaginal dryness or irritation
- Brain fog
- Irritability
While there is a long list of physical symptoms, there are also changes that can affect your mental health, including an increased level of anxiety and/or depression4. This phase can be extremely isolating. These mental health effects can be just as immobilizing as the physical ones.
When you start to see the first signs of menopause or changes in the way you feel each day, it may be time to explore finding support or starting treatments. Support can look different for everyone and can come from different outlets including:
- Support Groups: can be there to listen to you and validate your feelings. You can also learn more about what you’re experiencing. Knowledge is power and can help you feel more in control.
- Healthcare Providers: it is important to see people who understand the part of life you are going through to provide proper care. Around 80% of OB/GYNs are not trained in menopause care, so it may be worth finding a specialist.
- Colleagues and/or Partners: although a colleague or partner may not be experiencing what you are going through, speaking about this is powerful and can be helpful to anyone who may be feeling alone.
Different Treatment Paths
If your symptoms are menopause related, it’s important to reach out to your care providers to understand treatment options. If you have access to Progyny’s menopause and midlife care benefit reach out to Progyny to schedule a virtual appointment with a specialist to get tailored care. If you don’t have access to a specific menopause benefit, it is still important to talk through your symptoms. Schedule an appointment with your doctor and lay it all out on the table to develop a treatment plan and address questions like “what does an optimized life look like?” or “how are you able to make sure you are enjoying your life, even if symptoms worsen?”
Treatments for menopause may vary from person to person and should be personalized to fit your needs. To learn more about a specific treatment, contact your Progyny PCA or speak to your doctor for more information.
- Lifestyle Intervention: there are many lifestyle and wellness changes that can help ease symptoms. These lifestyle changes can include a change in your diet, acupuncture, or exercise. Cognitive behavioral therapy or meeting with a mental health provider can also help people during going through menopause to feel more in control.
- Hormone Replacement Therapy: standard hormone replacement therapy typically involves a combination of estrogen and progesterone that can have a positive effect on symptoms relief. There are a lot of misconceptions around hormonal therapy, but it can be a safe treatment option. However, some people should not be taking hormones, including those who have had an estrogen receptor or are positive for breast cancer. Your provider will want to follow up around 30 days later to alter the level of hormones if necessary. Speak to your provider to learn more.
- Non-hormonal therapy: for those not a candidate for hormonal treatment there are non-hormonal options including non-hormonal prescriptions and supplements.
Your provider will walk you through your treatment options and discuss any specific risk factors as everyone is different and your treatment plan should be tailored to you and what’s best for your body. Pending your path forward, your provider can also help you understand timelines and when you should expect to feel relief.
Q&A
- Is there anything I can do to prevent menopause symptoms? Are there foods I should avoid or lifestyle changes to help with my symptoms?
You can’t prevent menopause or its symptoms, this is inevitable for all women and people with ovaries. If you are experiencing these symptoms, you are not alone and there are treatments out there that can make you feel better. Relief can include a change to your diet, however each person experiences different food sensitivities, so what you change may be unique to you. Listen to how your body is feeling and make changes accordingly.
- With the hormone changes during menopause, I am seeing a lot of changes to my skin and hair. Is this a common symptom that you see? What can I do to manage this?
Changes to your hair and skin is a very common symptom as your hormones are changing. Estrogen depletion will dry out your skin, but moisturizers and sunscreen can help hydrate. You may experience hair loss due to your ratio of estrogen and testosterone changing. Solutions for this could include washing your hair less frequently, prescription medication, or hormonal replacement therapy.
- What is available through Progyny’s benefit and how do I know if I have access?
Contact your Progyny Patient Care Advocate (PCA) and they can confirm your eligibility and walk you through your specific benefit information and connect you to a menopause and midlife care expert. Not sure if you have access to the Progyny menopause benefit? Talk to your HR/benefits team to learn more.
- Can I go to my regular OB/GYN with questions about menopause? Can they help me?
Your OB/GYN could be a good place to start, especially if you have a great relationship with them already. If they aren’t giving you the answers you are looking for, it may be time to go to a menopause care specialist who can help you more specifically with this phase of life.
- How do we normalize talking about menopause and how do we better support women going through these life changes?
Having more conversations around menopause and feeling empowered by it can lead to everyone feeling more comfortable talking about it. Knowledge is power and conversations can lead to more women and people with ovaries understanding what is going on with their bodies and taking the next step to feel better.
Check out additional frequently asked questions related to perimenopause and menopause here →
If you have any other questions related to this webinar, please don’t hesitate to reach out to education@progyny.com. If you are a Progyny member and have any questions about your benefit or coverage, please call 888.597.5065.
For more information on menopause and midlife care, visit our Menopause Education Site.
1 Menopause Goes To Work | Midi (joinmidi.com)
2 What Is Menopause? | National Institute on Aging (nih.gov)
3 What You Need to Know About Perimenopause | Progyny
4 Can Menopause Cause Depression? | Johns Hopkins Medicine