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Modern sexuality is “¦ complicated. And talking about our sexual health, even with a doctor, can be awkward as awkward enough that many of us will avoid it, even when we have a problem that needs solving.

Enter consultants like Bianca Palmisano, owner of Intimate Health Consulting, who’s helping doctors, nurses, and other medical and health care professionals speak openly and non-judgmentally to their patients about issues of sexuality.

Bianca Palmisano On Sexual Positivity

Gennev CEO Jill Angelo talked with Bianca about sex, sexuality, and why it’s so darn hard to have those important conversations.

1:50
“Sex positivity” means understanding sex and sexuality as a normal, healthy part of life with a wide range of modes of expression. We asked Bianca if the notion of sex as a positive part of life is gaining some traction in a culture that has an often unhealthy approach to sex.

3:25
What are the trends out there when it comes to sex positivity and women in midlife? Bianca has good news for us as one, the medical profession is innovating to give women “more options in the toolkit” for treating menopause symptoms that impact intimacy, and two, more sex educators are talking about sex at midlife and helping women understand the physical and emotional changes at menopause.

6:27
So, if it’s a good idea to talk about these things with your doctor, how do we start the conversation? Bianca talks about how she provides both medical professionals and patients with strategies for starting, continuing, and finishing the conversation satisfactorily.

9:16
How can women get educated about healthy sexuality? The problem with a taboo subject is that “¦well, it’s taboo. So, not much info. Except there is. Bianca says you can look beyond your doc if that person isn’t someone you can go to, and she gives some ideas on places to look for answers. (see below as well)

11:22
So what is “sexual health competency” and why do medical professionals need it? “Knowing how to have conversations in a way that puts your baggage on a back shelf,” says Bianca. We all have ideas and opinions on sexuality and what we feel is “right” or even “normal” as Bianca helps doctors understand how and why they should ditch the preconceptions when talking with patients.

13:25
Why is good sex so important? There’s an important dynamic between sex and relationships, according to Bianca. But relationships can get thorny in midlife, given all the life-stage stresses and physical changes, so how do we stay intimately connected to one another?

15:00
But relationships can get thorny. How do women initiate conversations about sex with their partners? Probably not when pulling out the condoms in the 10 minutes before Johnny comes home from soccer practice, Bianca says. Hear her ideas on a better way to bring it up.

16:30
Women in midlife often experience some profound changes in their sexuality. Careers are solid, kids are grown, the house is settled on its foundations “¦ are you? Bianca addresses how some women make important decisions and have major revelations about themselves, their lives, and their sexuality.

Want to learn more about sexual health and sex positivity? Visit Bianca’s website, Intimate Health Consulting, and check out these other sexuality experts: Sex educator, writer, and speaker Walker Thornton; Joan Price, author of The Ultimate Guide to Sex After 50 and Naked at Our Age; Certified Sexuality Educator Melanie Davis, PhD, and Dr. Myrtle, author of the series The Recipe for Ecstasy. 

Bianca Palmisano is a sex educator and medical consultant serving the DC community since 2012. As the owner of Intimate Health Consulting, she specializes in training healthcare providers around issues of sexual health, as well as LGBT, sex worker, and sexual assault survivor competency. She also serves as the Community Outreach Chair for the Metro DC PFLAG Board of Directors.

Palmisano is the primary author of “Safer Sex for Trans Bodies,” an outreach and education guide for the trans community sponsored by Whitman Walker Health and the Human Rights Campaign. She has been a guest lecturer at George Washington University, Johns Hopkins, and University of Chicago.

We see the numbers a lot: estradiol, estrogens, FSH. But what do they mean, and what can they actually tell a woman about where she is in the menopause transition?

Turns out, the team at Gennev found that using a menopause hormone levels chart may be less helpful than we’d like.

While there are uses for having hormone levels tested, pinpointing your place on the perimenopause-to-menopause journey probably isn’t one of them. Hormones just don’t cooperate during this time (which is probably why you’re wanting to get them tested in the first place), and hormone tests can only really offer a limited snapshot of where you are right now as which is probably not where you’ll be tomorrow.

To understand all this better, we had a Q & A with our ob/gyn Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, on to test or not to test.

What is the reason for testing hormone levels?

Dr. Rebecca: Good question. Hormone levels are helpful when we are tracking fertility and ovulation induction [using hormonal therapy to prompt an ovary to release an egg]. Taken several times, they can give a very tentative window into where in the fertility transition a woman is. 

But as and this is a big but as hormone levels are extremely variable throughout the cycle and even more irregular during the perimenopausal transition, so they become much less useful.

Looking At A Menopause Hormone Levels Chart

 

Menopausal transition hormone chart

This graph is of hormone levels in one woman over the course of 1 year in perimenopause. At the bottom you can see the spacing between her periods, which is very irregular. During this year her cycles vary from 99 to 20 days long. In the top graph are measurements of her FSH and LH, but if you look at how varied the FSH is (solid line), you’ll notice that there are several time points where if measured it looks “normal” and several where it looks “post-menopausal” and lots in the middle. This is why it is not reliable. In the bottom chart you can see that her estrogen measurements are similarly irregular and all over the place (the dotted line) but most of the time are within the “normal” range. 

Is it ever useful to check hormone levels for women in perimenopause or menopause?

Dr. Rebecca: In my experience, I almost never check them. If a woman has a uterus, than where she is in menopause or perimenopause is best determined by her cycles, or lack thereof.

If a woman has had a hysterectomy, we go by symptoms. We may check FSH [follicle-stimulating hormone] if these are unclear, but again, because it can be so variable, it may not tell us much.

Fundamentally it feels important to know where you are “in menopause,” but really we need to know if you are symptomatic, and we will treat that. Menopause is a normal and natural transition for women that requires no medication if a woman is not having problematic symptoms. If your symptoms are problematic, then we should treat you, no matter where you are in that transition.

What are these tests testing for?

Dr. Rebecca: If correctly done, they look at the relative levels of FSH, progesterone, and LH (leutenizing hormone) to try to get a window into the hormones at a certain point in a woman’s cycle. They are best understood at the “day 3” point of the cycle, i.e. the 3rd day after the start of your period. This is when we have the most data about what they should look like. Random values of these hormones are not helpful.

What do the numbers mean?

A woman reported her numbers as “Estrodial: 8.2, Estrone: 23.3, Total Estrogens: 31.5″ as what does that tell her or her doc?

Dr. Rebecca: Not much at all. What day of her cycle is she on? What is her FSH? When did she last have a period? What medications is she taking? I can’t interpret these tests without all that information.

Additionally, while there is a range of m=normal estradiol levels for women, they vary over the cycle, and between women. If the patient has symptoms, we should be treating her; if she doesn’t, then there is no need to treat, no matter what the values are. Also, just estradiol is needed, that is the active hormone; testing the rest doesn’t add any information (though it does add cost…). There are much better menopause tests for diagnosis available.

Why do doctors conduct these tests if they’re not truly useful?

Dr. Rebecca: Some physicians do not understand the cycle well and think that these tests help. A lot of these tests can help us talk about fertility, and if a physician is not menopause savvy they may not understand the difference in usefulness.

Some providers are getting some money from the tests in “special labs.” Some use them to prescribe expensive hormones or supplements that are no better than the pharmaceutical ones as in fact, they are probably less safe.

A big red flag I need to point out: if your provider tells you “only they understand” how this works, or only they have the answer and the rest of the medical community is “behind” or “ignorant” or “just doesn’t understand” and only they can sell the exact product you need, run away.

Any well-trained menopause provider should truly understand how hormones work and change in the perimenopause. We all have access to charts like the perimenopausal transition chart and the STRAW staging of menopause, and we can tell by symptoms and periods about where you are. We all know how to prescribe HRT properly and will recommend that you use an FDA-regulated product.

Compounded hormones are no more “bio-identical,” in fact they are generally a pharmaceutical product which is crushed and compounded into a cream. So it’s the same medication I would prescribe, now less reliably absorbed and dosed. 

What are better indicators of where women are in the menopause transition?

The menopause is defined based on menstrual cycle. The most common pattern is that first cycles become just a little shorter (21-25 days instead of 28-32). Then they start to space out, and women will occasionally skip periods (see the perimenopausal transition chart).

During this time, some months the ovaries are working normally, some they are behind, but eventually they’ll recruit an egg. Sometimes they just don’t make it to an ovulation, and the lining of the uterus sheds in a irregular fashion because it got too thick (this is usually a long, heavy period bleed).

During this whole time period, hot flashes and night sweats can be present. Eventually, periods will stop, and after there have been no menses for one year, you are menopausal. 

Is there some way to know (or approximate) when symptoms will begin to lessen and finally end?

Symptoms are very individual. In general, hot flashes and night sweats can start 1-3 years before the last period and last on average between 2-6 years. Some women experience them up to 10 years. Vaginal dryness and vaginal issue symptoms happen in about 50 percent of women, and generally don’t start to be a problem until 1-2 years after the last period. Cardiovascular risks and cholesterol changes, bone changes all start when the periods stop. 

Can women use this information to make decisions like whether to begin HRT?

HRT is generally prescribed for symptoms, and so we would treat based on that. We no longer generally prescribe systemic HRT for bones or heart health (though it can be helpful for those things too).

HRT is not a “fountain of youth,” though there is some evidence that women who use HRT may live longer. However, the studies were not designed to look at that, so we can’t be sure that this isn’t because they weren’t healthier to begin with.

Knowledge is power as and so many women feel powerless during this time. What tools do we have to empower women for real?

Gennev is a wonderful and empowering resource. A NAMS-certified menopause practitioner is also a great resource. Ask your OB/GYN if they are comfortable with menopause care and hormones.  

woman and dog on beach

It would be nice to put an end date on menopausal symptoms, but hormone-level testing probably won’t get you any closer to an answer than a discussion with your doctor will.

If you’re ready to better understand where you are in the perimenopause > menopause transition, take Gennev’s Menopause Assessment. You may be surprised to discover some of the issues you’re having are actually related to hormones. Then, take your results to your doctor as or consult with one of our menopause specialists via Gennev’s telehealth.

We can help you understand where you are in your menopause journey

 The information on the Gennev site is never meant to replace the care of a qualified medical professional.  Hormonal shifts throughout menopause can prompt a lot of changes in your body, and simply assuming something is “just menopause” can leave you vulnerable to other possible causes. Always consult with your physician or schedule an appointment with one of Gennev’s telemedicine doctors before beginning any new treatment or therapy.

Whose belly is this?

This was never how my body looked or felt.

And you’re right, of course. The body you had, knew, loved, and lived in is changing and behaving in a new way due to the change in hormone levels. In this life, so far, you’ve never yet been this age and your body is going through a significant change”¦ sometimes referred to as “THE Change.” 

The Big M and Body Fat Redistribution

During and after menopause, weight redistribution, mostly fat redistribution, occurs in the belly area, rather than the thighs or rear. So whether you’re just entering perimenopause, or you’ve been on the path for a while, a change in hormone levels means change throughout your body: mood, skin, sex drive, body composition, the works.

What’s actually happening with weight redistribution?

The estrogen hormone levels are decreasing in your body. If you’ve experienced premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms, you know mood can change when hormones do. Plus, water retention, migraines or headaches, and cramps. 

Similar in that we’re still talking about hormones (estrogen, specifically), but different in that your body’s estrogen flow is decreasing over time, you may experience a whole new lineup of symptoms. Yeah, sorry about that.

Scientists are still learning about how estrogen affects the body, but allow us to clarify that estrogen is indeed a powerhouse. It’s the hormone that has a lot to do with texture and moisture in your skin; changes in your weight, and indeed, in how and where fat deposits “land” on your body. Hips and thighs pre-menopause; post-menopause, most likely, your belly.

The main health issue for this annoying, yet common, the phenomenon is in how much weight is now part of your new middle. More fat deposits in your belly area may present an increased risk for heart disease in women and metabolic syndrome.

Weight redistribution can be alarming and stressful. A flood of emotions may swell in like frustration, anger (okay, rage), resentment, even grief, and sadness. Some of this change does indeed constitute a loss. The body you had is not the body you are living in now.

Working with, instead of railing against

Though we have no actual say or control over how the body acclimates to the new levels of estrogen, we can, however, embrace and support our bodies with the information we do have and by taking good care of our mental, emotional, and physical health day-to-day. 

We get a lot done in a day as mothers, daughters, caregivers, sisters, leaders, partners or spouses, business owners, workers, and the list go on and on. Our bodies take us through incredibly busy days and have specific needs in order to maintain excellent (or even good) health: drinking clean water; regular movement and stretching; good, nutritious food at regular intervals; and relaxation and downtime.

As busy as we are, it’s a real struggle for many of us to prioritize what we need for self-care. Even taking a few deep breaths seems easily forgettable, though really helpful, in the face of other stresses and tasks. There are small things we can do that will lead to motivation for more self-care. What are they? 

Let’s start with one of those deeeeep breaths and look at an opportunity that can present itself in many places: taking a few stairs. Maybe not even a whole case, but a few.

Self-care inspires more self-care

You may not feel inclined, inspired, or motivated to exercise or build muscle strength. It’s understandable, especially if you’re also navigating your busy life with other new symptoms like hot flashes, insomnia, or anxiety. 

Multiple symptoms can be exhausting. But did you know that a little self-care, including a good stretch, and a few exercises can really help you shift a lot of the negative or tired feelings toward more positive feelings? 

Good feelings will beget more willingness and momentum”¦ and more self-care.

Even if you don’t feel like taking the stairs, you may consider taking them on anyway. Why?

Even this small bit of effort can give you new energy, spark some self-esteem, and give you some inspiration to take even better care of yourself. If you’re winded at the top of the stairs, well, you’re already breathing deeper and taking in more oxygen. You’ve asked more of your muscles (which may be burning). You may also be inspired to take a long drink of water before (or instead of) an afternoon coffee or soda. As the day goes on, the good feelings from that single trip up a few of those stairs could inspire you to roast up and eat some extra veggies at dinner.

Who and what

Your physical body is changing, true. And how about taking a look at what else may support you physically as well as emotionally, mentally, and for some, spiritually as well.

Who might you find?

What could you do to build up your inner support system?

Identify a few activities you can accomplish each day that may help build momentum for more self-care:

Infuse energy into your body and mind:

If you make it a game and stay curious about what else you can do in these small ways, you’ll always win. And you’ll feel better.

So look for opportunities to keep all forms of your health in good order with tasks along the way. You don’t need an hour for each thing”¦ just a moment in some cases. Celebrate your whole glorious self, menopause belly and all. You are so much more than the changes you are experiencing. 

What do you do to make yourself feel glorious? Because belly fat or no, you are glorious! We’d love to hear more about how you’re supporting yourself through this time of change. Please join the Gennev community forums and share!

The cold and flu season is upon us here in the Northern hemisphere, so the menopause clinic team at Gennev would love to share ideas for staying menopause and immune system despite the viral stew everywhere around us.

Loss of estrogen can mean your immune system is weaker than in the past, so keeping the germs at bay may be even more challenging. However, since you’re taking better care of yourself than ever before (right?), you’ve got a head start on staying healthy.

Menopause’s effects on the immune system

So why do we get sick more easily during this time? A few reasons: First, perimenopause and menopause can ramp up the stress hormone cortisol. When we have too much cortisol for too long, a study at Dartmouth found, it can increase inflammation and weaken our immune system’s ability to fight off infections.

And menopause can have a lot of add-on effects: major night sweats or poor sleep, not enough exercise due to no energy or menopausal fatigue, poor diet, and changes in our gut flora can all increase the possibility of getting sick.

How to stay healthy (or get well faster)

So what can we do to counteract the negative impacts of menopause on our immune system? We can make our immune system as robust and vigorous as possible.

  1. Wash your hands. This is probably the single most effective thing you can do to prevent the spread of disease. Soap, water, twenty seconds (singing “Happy Birthday” twice will get you there, though we prefer the first 20 seconds of “Bohemian Rhapsody”), and don’t forget to get under your fingernails and wash your thumbs.
  2. Tend to your gut flora. It’s a garden in your gut, and a disease-fighting powerhouse garden at that. Keep your gut flora healthy and happy, and it will do the same for you. Beans are a great pre-biotic, meaning they feed your good gut bacteria. Greek yogurt is a probiotic which can also help your gut fight infections, especially if the yogurt is fortified with Vitamin D.  
  3. Speaking of Vitamin D”¦. it’s sort of a big deal. Not only does it play a critical role in our immune defenses, it’s also important in building bone and warding off depression. However, most of us are short on the Big D, so it’s important to be vigilant. If you can’t spend time in the sun as our best source of D as look for foods that are naturally high in D (fatty fish like tuna or salmon, egg yolks, beef liver) or fortified with it (dairy products, soy milk, orange juice, cereal).
  4. Guzzle the green tea. The polyphenol catechin in green tea does a lot for our bodies, including helping us fight bacteria and viruses. From better bones and teeth to lower cholesterol and easier weight management, boosting your intake might help you get through the winter better. However, it does contain caffeine, so be aware of that, plus high levels can potentially interfere with iron absorption or interact with other drugs you may be taking, so talk with your doctor or a menopause specialist near you if you have any concerns.
  5. Bump up the garlic. Garlic is a powerful healer that’s been used for centuries as a way to ward off illnesses. Just be sure to chop it up fine, as that allows the release of the allicin that does the heavy lifting. If you’re using it in cooking, add it toward the end to preserve its germ-fighting ability.
  6. Boost zinc. If taken within 24 hours from the time you first notice symptoms of a cold, zinc may shorten that cold by up to 33 percent. Oysters are a good source of zinc, as are many nuts and beans. And there are zinc lozenges available for a quick uptake when you’re feeling symptomatic.
  7. Reduce stress. While this may be at the top of the “easier said than done” category, especially during the holidays, remembers that whole bit about cortisol as without estrogen’s dampening effects, cortisol can be at elevated levels already. You don’t want to add more. Excuse yourself without guilt from things that stress you out. If you can’t, try breathing exercises or calming apps to help you feel better in the moment. Have a bedtime routine that helps you stay grounded and sleep better. Make self-care time non-negotiable, however you define that time. Not only will you get sick less often, but you’re laying the groundwork for a healthier future.
  8. Exercise during menopause regularly, sleep well, reduce alcohol, don’t smoke. All of these can help you feel better generally as well as stay healthier during cold and flu season.

Avoiding illness entirely is pretty tough in the modern world, but you can definitely minimize your chances of getting sick and help your body return to wellness faster. Pay attention as if you’re in a public place, try to avoid touching your hands to your face until you’ve had a chance to wash them. Be vigilant about eating foods that increase well-being (fruits and veggies) and only indulging in the others occasionally (hello, sugar). If you’re in a stressful situation, try some mantra for positive thinking to keep cortisol levels from ramping up.  

Menopause can make avoiding illness a bit more challenging, but there’s still plenty that’s within your control. For help in supporting your body through menopause, meet with a menopause specialist.  And if you have suggestions for how to make it easier to stay healthy in cold and flu season (or any time), why not share them on our Facebook page or in Midlife & Menopause Solutions, our private Facebook group.  

 

When you look your best, it’s easier to feel confident. Unfortunately, midlife seems to conspire against us, at least by today’s cultural standards of “best,” with belly fat or thicker waistlines, more wrinkled skin, and flyaway hair.

One of the first things we notice when we see someone for the first time is their hair “” and this is especially true of women. If our previously shiny, glossy, thick hair is now dry, thinner, and frizzy, we feel we’re not making our best first impression. That can undermine confidence before we even open our mouths.

Sonsoles Gonzalez, founder of Better Not Younger

Sonsoles Gonzalez

To help women feel better about their hair, whether it’s to make a better first impression or just have happier moments in front of the mirror, Sonsoles Gonzalez founded Better Not Younger, a haircare brand focused on the changes many women experience as they age.

Better Not Younger isn’t just dedicated to healthier hair, though; it’s also changing the conversation around women and aging. 

As an executive in the haircare industry, Sonsoles noticed that products were always geared toward the “18-44 year old women” market. What happens when a woman turns 45, she asked?

Apparently, as far as the large brands go, 45-year-old women and older pretty much cease to exist. But at 52 or 53, Sonsoles, says, she still felt youthful and attractive “” not ready for invisibility!

So she started her own company that researched the needs of women in this demographic and began providing products that work. 

In this podcast, Better Not Younger CEO Sonsoles Gonzalez and Gennev CEO Jill Angelo talk about providing products for women in midlife and how our culture is slowly shifting to recognize the unique value and beauty of women 40 and over.

 

TRANSCRIPT TO FOLLOW

Have you noticed changes in your hair? Have you tried Better Not Younger or other solutions you’d like to share? Come join us in the Gennev community forums! 

Dear Gennev-ers,

Thankfulness is a gift when times feel tough.

2016 has been a tough year for many people I care about, including me. The election just seemed to top off a year of anxiousness in a world where many things feel out of control, desperate, mad and filled with such anger and resentment towards one another.

Feel down? Yeah, me too.

But I’m taking this week to reflect on things I appreciate. One thing I’ve noticed is that the thankfulness in my heart goes far deeper than it’s ever gone before. It feels more real and authentic. That’s perhaps because I need it to carry on.

Thankfulness feels so good.

I’m so deeply thankful for my husband who props me up every day. Laughs with me. Loves me.

I’m blessed with family whom I love and who love me back. No tension. Just acceptance.

My friends, oh my gosh my friends! They listen, they laugh, they problem-solve, and they tell me the truth even when I don’t want to hear it.

And then there’s Gennev. At times, she’s an all-time high and other times a stressful low. The mission for women’s health is the steady hand”¦and it’s the part I’m most grateful for.

I get to work with incredible women and men every day to help women feel fabulous in their bodies. Gennev has brought a whole new level of fulfillment through the menopause stories and the impact we’re making on Gennev-ers around the world. I’m deeply thankful for our small yet mighty Gennev-ers team.

I’m healthy and I’m able to run 13 miles when I want to. OK, that’s pretty awesome too!

So, 2016 has had a lot of good in it.

When I stop to reflect and break down the things that matter most, gratitude is running through my veins! And it feels extra warm and peaceful given the many external factors I have no control over.

No doubt, the tough stuff of politics, refugee crises, race tensions, women’s rights issues, lying, anger towards one another isn’t going to stop overnight. But what gives me pause is that I’m still me. And I’m the boss of me. I can face this world of tough-going, because I’m filled with the optimism that gratitude brings to my soul.

On this Thanksgiving, I wish you five minutes to simply find some of the gratitude that will help you move through the challenging times we’re in.

And if you’d like to add your list of thankfuls to my list, please email them to me at jill@gennev.com, and I’ll publish our collective list. Thankful begets thankful, and happy begets happy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

jill angelo, genneve cvo

It is my honor to introduce the Click here“>changes to Gennev to support 38M women in menopause in the U.S!

Gennev began in 2016, and through its evolution became the first-ever online clinic for women in menopause with telehealth services, products, and education.

As any startup company knows, you build the technology from the ground up until you understand what consumers will use and if they will pay for your services.

Gennev has been on that journey. We have supported millions of women who have consumed our education, engaged 60,000 through the Gennev Menopause Assessment, and have provided telehealth services, memberships, and products to thousands who need quality health care.

Today we’re moving from our “starter” technology platform to the new Gennev as a more secure intelligent platform that is re-imagining the way women manage menopause help.

What changes is the technology that powers our menopause care for women: it now delivers an improved user experience, a more secure and flexible data architecture, and a platform for extreme growth. What doesn’t change is our mission to empower women to take control of their health in the second half of life”¦starting with menopause. Because we have millions of women yet to serve.

As a woman, a mom, and Gennev’s VP of Technology, I’m proud of what we’re delivering today. I’m excited about what it means for millions of women. I’m proud to be building a platform for myself, a 44-year-old woman who is pre-menopausal.

For women who care about quality healthcare, this article will share how we’re empowering you to take control of your health. For the technology and health care enthusiasts reading this article, I share my fundamentals for building customer-first digital health platforms for the masses during COVID-19 times. And for the nay-sayers who never thought digital health for menopause could be a viable business, we’re just getting started.

The Back Story

How do you build a platform for talking about something society doesn’t talk about?

When I came to Gennev a year ago, that was the task I was facing: reimagining and building a platform for one of the biggest remaining societal taboos. Menopause.

Gennev CEO Jill Angelo asked me to find a way to connect menopausal women to health care providers, products, education, and community through a safe, intelligent recommendation engine. Sort of like Amazon can forecast our consumption for products. Gennev wants to keep women in the know for what they will need throughout the menopause journey.

Because Gennev was an early start up, the telehealth and ecommerce platform built up to that point didn’t have the flexibility or the power to handle current needs, much less the exponential growth we were experiencing.

A history of technology and health care

Looking back, my work history has always been grounded in helping others.

As a young engineer, I started my career managing customer tech support at an internet-connectivity startup. Then came September 11, 2001; I was working in lower Manhattan. That traumatic experience really catalyzed my desire to use my career to improve the lives of others.

I was interested in health and health outcomes, so I went back to school for a Master’s in Public Health. I moved to Seattle because there were so many opportunities in public health. I merged my passions for computer science and public health when I landed a role at the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center. I created a new online data sharing program for HIV vaccine trials.

Lesson One: Listen to the end user

I worked in the Vaccine and Infectious Disease division, then moved to Central IT to work on clinical data repositories for cancer researchers, including data visualization tools. Then my team started building an informatics department. None existed at Fred Hutch before, but we really wanted a way to accelerate research that utilized the cancer patient data.

It took a lot of interviewing researchers and medical providers to understand what they needed to get the right tools and data into their hands for their research. But I learned an exceptionally valuable lesson there, one that seems so easy but is so rarely employed: listen to the end user.

There was a lot to parse out. What did it mean to enable meaningful use of medical record data? How could we implement technology systems and stay within regulatory frameworks? How could we keep data safe, but still make it accessible; how could we comply with federal law and patient best interests, when sometimes they seemed at odds?

When data is siloed in a bunch of different places and systems that not only don’t connect, they often don’t speak the same language, bringing it together, making it useful, and keeping our own biases out of it is tricky business. But I learned some invaluable lessons there about how to respect the need for data security while meeting the need for useful access to that data.

After ten years in health care research, I was feeling disconnected from the patient experience. I couldn’t have as tangible an impact as I wanted if I didn’t understand the patients’ perspective. So I moved into consumer health care.

Lesson Two: Build Trust through Tech

I joined Providence Health Systems’ Digital Innovation Group, and that’s where I led the team that built the Circle mobile app for pregnant women and new moms.

The thinking behind the Circle app was there was a lot of information out there for pregnant women and new moms, but these women were really searching for a voice they could trust. Regular engagement with those women would build that trust, and when they needed to see a doctor, they’d come to us because they knew us already.

The app gave them information about how their baby was developing, what checkups they needed, what medication they should be taking, all the thousand-and-one details women have to keep straight. I was a new mom with two littles, so I could really understand the questions these women had, the concerns they had. I used trackers too “” diapers, sleeping patterns, vaccines “” but they were all on these separate apps, and I was too exhausted to make sense of them all. So when it came time to create an app, we brought them all together.

And that was another important lesson I brought with me to Gennev: you can build trust through technology, but only if your tech is built with the consumer’s experience in the forefront. You can build all the cool features you want, you can make it look beautiful, but if it doesn’t tell me that my belly is jumping because my baby has hiccups, it’s not useful to me.

Women make 80 percent of the health care decisions for their household. Men frequently are the ones who design that health care. It took Apple as in many ways the gold standard for UX/UI “” until iOS 9 to add period tracking to their HealthKit app. For women, it just wasn’t as useful. They had to download other apps or look to other devices to fill that need. It’s not that the male developers did it on purpose or didn’t think it was important, they just hadn’t seen their users as female.

When you foreground your user, you see things others don’t. When you reflect the user’s experience back at them, accurately and faithfully, that builds trust.

Ultimately Circle was acquired by Wildflower Health, where I got exposure to progressive, innovative thought around women’s healthcare. Through that experience, I learned how underserved women were beyond just the child-bearing years as particularly in menopause.

I met Jill, and my next step was set. Her passion for truly serving this underserved community of women who are often really struggling with symptoms, was impossible to resist. And knowing I could be in that boat one day made it even more compelling. Jill has built an amazing team of experts, and I was really excited to build them a first-class platform to take them to the next level.

Lesson Three: Build the team; leverage the moment

My mission is to reduce barriers to usability, both for consumers using an app and for researchers using the data from that app to create better solutions and outcomes.

That is especially important in this work for Gennev. Women 40+ have been ignored and dismissed for so long, the last thing they need when they finally find a resource to help them is more hurdles. My north star is to keep it simple. I don’t mean “dumb it down” as those things are often confused in this business, I think. I mean keep it simple. Light the path.

To do that, I recruited a team with a broad range of skills and perspectives.

Software development can no longer be done by a single coder: finding a designer that gets your end-user (in our case, the designer is a woman who went through menopause at an early age) is paramount. And finding a QA Engineer that gets how female consumers use technology is crazy important; finding the right men who don’t flinch at talk of hot flashes is rare, but we won the lottery on talent!

And in COVID times, finding the right talent who can work effectively from home, connected through tools like Slack and Zoom, has been paramount to delivering the new Gennev. My team has chemistry and a diverse set of backgrounds, which has been a huge asset in delivering our new platform.

The COVID crisis really sped up a lot of things that we were already doing. Healthcare has to come to the consumer. We were already working towards that with our telemedicine, but we were up against the barrier of people not really understanding how they could get adequate care via a video in their living room.

COVID sped that up by years, probably. Suddenly you didn’t have a choice, so you tried it. And lots of people found they could get what they need just fine.

We’ve effectively built a new kind of EMR for GenX women who want access to their data, appointment follow-ups, and recommendations. Our team of 25 OB/GYNs and 3 Registered Dietitians need a flexible way for personalizing care options as prescriptions, over-the-counter supplements, education, and community resources for their patients. The new Gennev accomplishes both. And it does so across 49 states for telehealth and all 50 states for our HealthFix Coaching Membership.

Lesson Four: Learn scrappy

One thing I’ve learned from the incubation lab at Providence Healthcare and now Gennev is “learn scrappy.” Find a way to do the tech-enabled thing you want to do in a small, non-technical, scrappy way so you can test it.

At Gennev, we’re building the first-ever intelligent menopause roadmap that recommends care options for women based on where they are in the journey. To do that, we need to have quality data and use it in such a way that the tech is getting more intelligent about forecasting and recommending what a woman needs before she knows it. And we have to be transparent with her about how we’re using her data to her benefit.

To get there, we’re applying quick experiments in non-tech-heavy ways using SMS, email and good ol’ fashion customer service. We’re learning, and every bit of that learning has gone into the new Gennev.

Lesson Five: Review customer feedback

Are we providing our customers and patients with information they can understand and act on?

One of the things I love most about Gennev is we walk the walk. When we say we’re here to help women, we mean it, and that starts with our technology. We want a system that allows women to tell us what they need.

Last week, we received this feedback from a HealthFix Coaching Member:

Customer feedback is a constant reminder of how important it is to be focused on them and what improves their quality of life. It sets the direction for our technology roadmap, and it is a guiding light (and affirmation) for business success.

Gennev has built the largest data set about women in menopause of any company in the world. We’re out to change women’s experience with menopause, to make it something to celebrate rather than dread. Technology powers this change. It’s not the hero, but with the new Gennev, we’re advancing how millions of women manage their menopause.

Do an Internet search on “soy, menopause,” and you’ll typically find a couple of schools of thought: soy is dangerous because the phytoestrogens in soy increase breast cancer risk. Or, soy helps relieve perimenopause and menopause symptoms thanks to those same phytoestrogens.

So, is soy dangerous?

No. Eating a moderate amount of whole-soy foods will not increase your risk of breast or any other kind of cancer, even if you’ve had breast cancer or have a family history of the disease.

Why do we think soy is dangerous?

Concerns about soy and a link to breast cancer date back to a study done in 1996 and published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention. The study seemed to indicate that soy protein could stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells.

Researchers had known prior to the study that isoflavones, an estrogen-like compound found in soy and may other foods, can mimic the natural estrogens of the body. And since higher estrogen levels can increase the risk of breast cancer, it followed that isoflavones could have the same effect.

However, Dr. Omer Kucuk, medical oncologist at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute, told CNN, there are two estrogen receptors in our bodies, alpha and beta. Binding to alpha receptors may increase the risk of breast cancer by making breast cells grow.  

“Soy isoflavones bind preferentially to estrogen receptor beta,” says Dr. Kucuk, and may actually have a protective effect against breast cancer. Hence the lower cancer rates in high-soy-consumption parts of the world like Japan and China where people consume soy throughout their lives.

There may be negative effects for people with thyroid issues, especially in women. If you take medication for hypothyroidism, soy may interfere with your body’s ability to absorb that medication. However, says the Mayo Clinic, if you take your medication as prescribed and wait four hours after taking your medication before consuming soy, you can enjoy whole soy-based foods without concern.

What are the benefits of soy?

The jury is still out on many of the claims soy proponents have made through the years, but evidence that soy is genuinely good for us is piling up.

How can we safely consume soy?

While the experts still disagree on exactly the benefits and risks of soy, most agree that soy is best consumed as “whole” as possible.

Look for minimally processed versions such as edamame, tofu, tempeh, and miso. Avoid or limit highly processed vegetarian meat or cheese substitutes which can contain a whole lot of other stuff, negating the benefits of soy. Lots of protein bars contain soy, but the processing and the added sugars may make those foods less than healthy.

Additionally, soy or isoflavone supplements may not be a good way to enjoy the benefits of soy, as large-scale studies on soy supplements haven’t really been conducted to date, says Dr. Kucuk. In fact, says Katherine Zeratsky, RD LD, for the Mayo Clinic, some studies suggest the higher levels of isoflavones in supplements may actually increase the risk of breast cancer.

As with most nutrition, it’s best to meet your needs with real food: “25 grams a day” was the amount several nutrition experts gave as a guideline for safe consumption of soy, and “fermented” likely yields the highest nutritional value (natto, tempeh, miso).

Does soy help with menopause symptoms?

OK, so the phytoestrogen in soy won’t cause breast cancer, but will it end hot flashes?

Great question. Results, as with All Things Menopause, are mixed. Some studies seem to show that isoflavones reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes as this study, unfortunately, centered on the use of soy supplements, which, as discussed above, aren’t ideal.

Another, earlier study found no evidence that plant-based estrogens like soy or red clover had any beneficial effect.

The protective and beneficial effects of soy may also depend on how long a woman has consumed it. Women who’ve eaten soy regularly over their whole lives seem to receive greater benefits than women who come to it later.

However, given the low-or-no risk and the very real health benefits of eating soy, why not try it? As ever, if you’re making a significant change to your diet, running it past your doctor is never a bad idea, especially if you’re on medication and have concerns about interactions. And if your morning miso soup results in fewer, less disruptive hot flashes, so much the better.

Do you eat soy? Why or why not? If you’re a soy lover, how about sharing some recipes with the rest of us? You can talk with us in the comments below, in our community forums (you’ll need to join our community first, if you haven’t already), on our Facebook page, or in Midlife & Menopause Solutions, our closed Facebook group. 

If you are constantly feeling an upset stomach (gas, diarrhea, bloating, and heartburn), weight changes, constant fatigue or skin irritation, these can all be signs of an unhealthy gut. You should pay a visit to the bulk section to stock up on foods to eat for a healthy gut. The bulk section can be intimidating. I’m an avid cook, and sometimes even my head starts spinning when I head down the bulk aisle! There are so many choices, so many different varieties of grains, legumes, flours, etc. For cooks who are comfortable with food, it can be a treasure trove, but for the average person, it can be a challenge, and just knowing where to begin is quite overwhelming.

But don’t give up! If there are two aisles of the grocery store you should be frequenting, it’s the bulk aisle and the produce aisle. What I love about the bulk aisle is that it is bustling with nutrients! There isn’t any fancy packaging vying for your attention and your dollars as it’s food in its purest form (granted, there can be a few sugar-coated exceptions in the bulk aisles you should avoid).

And looking beyond nutrition, the bulk aisle is a great place for the budget conscious. You don’t need to buy in bulk, you can simply buy what you need.

Here in Seattle, we’re lucky to have PCC Markets, the largest consumer-owned natural food retail co-operative in the United States with eleven stores throughout the greater Seattle area. When you want great bulk-aisle selections, there’s no better place to go. Think Whole Foods on steroids!

I recently toured a local PCC with their resident nutritionist, Marilyn Walls, and asked her to weigh in on the top 10 foods to bulk up on in the bulk aisle. This list is sort of a “bulk foods starter kit” and was designed with your body and mind in mind.

How Do I Get A Healthier Gut?

Research shows there is a powerful connection between our gut health and our emotional well-being. By nourishing the gut with real, whole foods, vegetables, fruits and lean proteins, you can positively impact your mind and your body. Therefore, we’ve chosen a variety of bulk foods, from spices and grains, teas, seeds and legumes, all of which are nutrient-dense and rich in fiber, properties that can help with pesky menopause problems like bloating, digestion, and even memory loss.

Most grocery stores have a bulk aisle, so I encourage you to make a beeline for the bulk section on your next visit to the store and try some or all of the suggestions on this list. And remember, the beauty of bulking up on these whole foods is that they won’t weigh you down, but rather, will amp you up with all-natural goodness.

Cheers to your health!

Michelle

List Of Foods To Eat For A Healthy Gut

ItemBenefitsUses1TurmericContains curcumin, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant propertiesAdd 1 teaspoon into tea, sprinkle onto eggs, into salads, onto rice, sauté with tofu.2Loose green teaHigh in anti-oxidants. Promotes heart health, brain health and helps with digestion.Substitute green tea for soda/coffee.3Forbidden black riceRich in antioxidants (evidenced by its color). Also filled with flavonoid phytonutrients, a good source of fiber, minerals and plant based protein. Gluten free.Serve as a side dish. Toss into a salad.4LentilsHigh in fiber, protein, folate, other minerals.As a salad or in salads, soups and in healthy dips. Click here for my recipe for lentil salad.5Adzuki beansGood source of magnesium, potassium, iron and other vitamins/minerals. Easy to digest.Use in soups, as a side dish. Popular mashed and sweetened and eaten as a treat in Japan.6Freshly ground almond butter (unsalted, no sugar added, freshly ground on site with only almonds)Great source of healthy fat, rich in protein, fiber, calcium and magnesium.Spread on apples, celery, whole grain toast/crackers. Use as a base for an Asian dressing. Limit serving size to 2 tablespoons.7Almonds (unsalted, unroasted are recommended. Sprouted and organic varieties have the most benefits.Packed with protein, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and trace minerals.Eat as a snack, toss onto salads or rice dishes, use in a healthy pesto.8QuinoaRich in protein, a good source of riboflavin, gluten free and has a low glycemic index.Use in a bowl tossed with veggies, sprinkle onto salads, layer into a wrap sandwich.9Flax seeds (golden or brown)Full of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.Add to smoothies, toss onto oatmeal, add to homemade healthy baked goods. Toast them and toss into a salad for an extra crunch.10Rolled or steel-cut oatsHigh in fiber, good for the heart in that it curbs LDL (bad cholesterol)Cook oats in a little water or your choice of milk, top with healthy ingredients.

Many thanks to PCC for lending us Marilyn Walls and letting us tour one of their markets!

About Marilyn Walls, PCC Nutrition Educator: Marilyn has a Masters in Nutrition from Bastyr University, and she has taught nutrition and herbs there for three years. During her ten years at PCC, she’s taught classes to customers, staff and lots of kids. She also writes articles for the PCC Sound Consumer newspaper. Having counseled many (sometimes crying) women, she believes menopausal symptoms may be alleviated through improved diet and herbal choices.

 

Last week we discussed why women often don’t get diagnosed and treated for a heart attack quickly enough. In brief,

  1. Culturally, we still associate heart attacks with men, so we’re slower to understand and respond when a woman is having one.
  2. Women’s heart attack symptoms differ from men’s and so are frequently misdiagnosed or ignored.
  3. Women may not demand treatment soon enough or loudly enough.
  4. And treatments are largely designed for men’s bodies and may not be appropriate for women.

Educating yourself on the symptoms of heart attack in men and women could mean saving a life as including your own.

But what’s even better than knowing what a heart attack looks and feels like? Never knowing what a heart attack looks and feels like.

Healthier Heart Tip 1: Nutrition

We all know the drill: more leafy greens, cut back on refined sugar, aim for quality, whole-grain carbs, reduce the meats, and boost the nuts, fruits, and veggies. But women’s bodies change during menopause, meaning their nutritional needs change too. Even if you’re not at high risk for heart disease, some dietary adjustments can help you meet your nutritional needs. Here are some special steps women can take to help preserve heart health:

  1. Phytoestrogens. Soy-based foods like tofu, tempeh, and soy milk can mimic the protective behavior of estrogen in supporting HDL cholesterol (the good kind). Additionally, many women report relief from menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, and this increase in quality of life is good for your heart as well.
  2. Saturated fats. After menopause, LDL (bad) cholesterol may rise, so reduce or avoid foods high in saturated fats (red meats, whole-fat dairy products, some vegetable oils).
  3. Vitamin D and calcium. While not directly related to heart health, having strong bones makes it a whole lot easier to get the exercise that does help your heart. The jury is still out on how much more Vitamin D and calcium menopausal women need and the best ways to get it, but eating a spinach salad in the sunshine sounds like a plan.

Healthier Heart Tip 2: Exercise

Yep, finding the time and will to exercise is tough, but there are so many massive benefits to women over 40, it’s difficult to overstate the case.

  1. Avoid weight gain. As estrogen levels decline, weight often increases. And worse, it generally collects around the middle as and belly fat is a higher heart risk than fat on the hips, thighs, or backside. Increasing activity level (particularly while improving diet, re: Tip 1) can help you maintain a healthy weight.
  2. Improve sleep. Many women report interrupted (or frankly, really crappy) sleep during this phase of life, and that can be hard on your heart. Exercising regularly is a great way to improve sleep, but one word of caution: some women report exercising too close to bed time increases the likelihood of night sweats.
  3. Reduce anxiety and depression. Regular exercise has therapeutic effects on many people suffering from anxiety and depression, including women in menopause. Anxiety and depression can stress your heart; reduce them for a healthier heart and a happier you.

To maximize health benefit, it’s great to do a lot of things: a little weight-bearing, impact exercise for bone density (like running); strength training to build and maintain muscle (I love rock climbing, my friend Anne swings kettle balls); some good cardio-vascular for your heart and lungs (walking, cycling, swimming); and some focusing activity for strength of body and mind (yoga).

Whatever you do, in whatever combination, try to get in 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week. Just be sure any increases are made slowly and carefully, so your body is ready for the demand.

Healthier Heart Tip 3: Lifestyle choices

Healthy diet and regular exercise are obvious ways to increase heart health and lower your risk of heart disease. But certain lifestyle choices can have huge heart-health impacts. Two of the biggies: smoking and depression.

Smoking. The 1950s called and they want their bad habit back. OK, we know it’s so much easier to say “quit” than it is to do it, but if you’re at or approaching menopause, now more than ever, you need to snuff out your last cigarette. Women who smoke may enter menopause sooner (meaning fewer years with estrogen’s protective benefits) and can experience more intense symptoms. Quitting smoking can be one of the most profound things you do to protect your future health.

Depression. A 10-year study conducted by Reading Hospital ob/gyn Xuezhi Jiang, MD and colleagues revealed that depression can contribute as significantly as to a woman’s risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) in midlife. According to Dr. Jiang, “We saw a significant difference in the association of depression with the risk for CAD based on a patient’s age. Compared with women aged 65 years and older, women under the age of 65 were far more likely to incur CAD as a result of depression.” Dr. Jiang strongly recommends that any woman at or approaching menopausal age who has a history of depression be proactive and get regular screenings.

Even if your feelings of depression don’t require professional intervention or treatment, all women can benefit from being proactive with their mental health. A big one? Staying social. Because of incontinence, hot flashes, and other “embarrassing” symptoms, women may limit social interaction during this time. Chances are other women in your age group are experiencing similar issues, so get together, talk it out, share solutions, and create the support network that can help you all be healthier.

 

Quoted or consulted sources:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/11-foods-that-lower-cholesterol

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/737143_2

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/gynecological_health/staying_healthy_after_menopause_85,P00545/

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/belly-fat/art-20045809

http://www.healthline.com/health/menopause/sleep-problems#2

http://www.endocrinologyadvisor.com/nams-2016/cad-risk-and-depression-in-women/article/527431/

http://www.acsm.org/public-information/articles/2016/10/07/exercise-recommendations-for-menopause-aged-women 

 

Menopause health concerns of fatigue , mood changes, and sleep disturbances lead the list of challenges with alarming impact on quality of life, but 94 percent of women don’t get enough support to manage side effects. Gennev, a first-of-its-kind online menopause clinic for women, today announced the first annual Menopause Zeitgeist, the largest survey of its kind with results from more than 6,000 women. The Menopause Zeitgeist captures the top perimenopause and post-menopause symptoms women faced in 2019 “” and what women want in 2020. 

 

Introducing Zeitgeist Menopause Statistics

Although menopause is about as universal a condition as we can imagine (everyone born with a uterus goes through it, if they live long enough), the experience of menopause is as individual as the person going through it.

The amount of time the transition takes can range from months to years. Symptoms run the gamut from non-existent to life-altering. Some get amazing support from knowledgeable professionals. Some suffer alone, not sure what’s going on or how to manage the challenges.

And because our society still largely regards menopause as some sort of shameful secret, many of us feel like we’re out here on our own.

That’s changing. Wow, is it changing.

Modern menopause

Women are speaking up and speaking out, unwilling to let perimenopause and menopause derail their careers, dreams, relationships, health, or quality of life anymore. With women like Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, and Gwen Stefani showing what 50 can look like, 2019 has been a celebration of women in midlife and a demonstration of what life can truly be on the far side of the menopause divide.

Menopause is now a topic of discussion on mainstream media as well as the subject of popular books such as Darcey Steinke’s Flash Count Diary, and getting “” at last! “” researched by scientists like Dr. Lisa Mosconi.

At Gennev, we’re loving being at the center of this new and swelling menopause zeitgeist, connecting women with the health care experts, products, and services that can help them feel great, and helping women connect with each other and find strength in a menopause group.

What is the new zeitgeist?

Books, talk shows, and cultural conversations aside, what matters is how the women in the thick of it are feeling about their experience. At Gennev, we recently conducted a survey of more than 6,000 women, asking about their menopause symptoms and the impacts those symptoms have on their lives.

Know your body better: learn your menopause type by taking our OB/GYN-designed Menopause Assessment

Women in menopause are thriving

This new spirit of the age reflects a new confidence. The good news is women are thriving through and beyond the transition: We’re feeling happier (72 percent), physically stronger (57 percent), more confident (69 percent), and more in control of our careers (54 percent) now than we did when we were 10 years younger.

But we could use more support

Where there’s “room for improvement”? There are some pretty important gaps that need to be addressed. Mainly, women are getting through this on their own, and any “thriving” that’s happening is happening in spite of menopause, not in harmony with it.

 

The biggest issue? We’re still not getting the support we need. Only 33 percent of the women we surveyed felt fully supported by their partners, and more than half (54 percent) felt undersupported by medical professionals. If you can’t turn to your doctor or partner for help as or even just to be heard as menopause becomes a much harder journey than it needs to be.

“Menopause is natural and normal, but a woman can almost feel like she’s going crazy when doctors or those close to them are dismissive of midlife complaints, of their pain, or are not well-informed about menopause,” said Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, OB/GYN, North American Menopause Society (NAMS)-certified practitioner, and Chief Medical Officer at Gennev. “We want women and all those who support them to feel more prepared for this life stage, and make sure they have someone and somewhere they can go to understand what’s happening with their bodies and to feel supported.”

We need support and solutions for women in menopause

Menopause is a natural process, not a disease “” which makes words like “symptoms” problematic. But the mental and physical discomforts women are experiencing are very real. Many women experience symptoms so dramatic they’re having a real impact on their quality of life.

Fatigue led the list for our sample, with 85 percent reporting experiencing the exhaustion that isn’t relieved by more sleep. Of those, 66 percent said fatigue interfered with quality of life.

Mood changes, particularly irritability, anxiety, and depression were close behind, with 80 percent reporting experiencing one or more mood impact and 69 percent saying mood issues affected their quality of life.

Sleep disturbances affected a whopping 78 percent of our respondents, and more than half of those said interrupted sleep impacted their quality of life.

More than half surveyed also reported impacts from menopausal belly fat, menstrual issues (usually heavy and/or frequent periods), night sweats, hot flashes, musculoskeletal changes like joint pain, loss of libido, digestive difficulties, and menopause brain fog.

What do we do from here?

Menopause is a thorny problem. Because it varies from woman to woman, even hour to hour within a single woman, “solving for menopause” resists any one-size-fits-all answer. But there are obvious steps we can take to help make women’s lives easier.

  1. Normalize menopause. Some are ready to share their #MyMenopauseStory with the world; others would just like to be able to experience a hot flash without feeling embarrassed, but regardless of degree, the majority of our surveyed women think society should regard menopause as the normal, natural, nothing-to-be-ashamed-of process that it is. Why is this so important?
  2. Research causes and solutions. Because what isn’t seen is rarely studied. We do a lot of research on menopause at Gennev, and the sheer volume of “we don’t know why this happens,” and “medical science isn’t entirely sure why this works,” and frankly, shrugging going on is infuriating. Realizing how many women’s lives are “interrupted” to greater or lesser degree by their symptoms is an important step towards pointing more research in the direction of understanding and helping.
  3. Get informed. Not only did women want their medical professionals to be better informed about menopause, they felt it would be helpful if their partners had more information. One big call-out from the survey: “don’t take my menopause symptomspersonally.” Forty-six percent of our women wanted their partners to understand that irritability wasn’t necessarily (entirely?) about them; 43 percent would like their partner to be more educated; 38 percent would appreciate more patience.
  4. Help. Other challenges that women could use help with were balancing work and life (44 percent) and prioritizing self-care (38 percent). Those who wish to help a menopausal woman thrive could do so by helping relieve some of the external pressure: offering flexible work schedules and menopause-friendly offices and taking on more of the burden of housework and care giving could go a long way to making a menopausal woman’s life better.

Thriving now, preparing for later

Lack of information isn’t just inconvenient: it can be dangerous. We were surprised by how relatively few women were concerned about the risks of heart disease, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Deaths from osteoporotic hip fractures outnumber deaths from breast cancer, yet only 16 percent of those surveyed reported bone density as a concern. Cardiovascular health likewise was low on the list at 23 percent.

Because the choices women make in perimenopause and early post-menopause can have profound impacts on long-term health, we want to begin educating and preparing women now. 

So what are we doing? Gennev continues to offer more and more for women in menopause: a network of menopause-specialist physicians and coaches, products that actually help relieve symptoms, a robust and growing community of women and their supporters, and information that’s vetted by medical professionals, so you know you can trust it. And we’ll continue to accrue data to help bring about more research, more understanding, and more solutions.

As Jill Angelo, CEO and co-founder of Gennev, puts it: “Our goal in releasing this data is to reduce the stigma around menopause, help women understand that they are not alone, and to create support systems at home, work, and in healthcare.”

In January, Gennev will release its 2020 Guide to Menopause, a resource women and those who appreciate them can use to understand menopause and its challenges. With more statistics like the ones above, plus tips on managing symptoms and building a healthy foundation for the rest of your life, the 2020 Guide to Menopause will help you thrive through the transition and beyond.

Gennev Menopause Zeitgeist

 

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9nZW5uZXZlLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz/episode/YjBjZjllN2MtODNiOC00NThjLWJiZjQtNzRjYzQ0OTk1NWNl https://open.spotify.com/episode/5lhEmU9XGNt4emsmKU3WMf?si=57KV6YiMQtmmf6dpZfLB_Q https://open.spotify.com/episode/5lhEmU9XGNt4emsmKU3WMf?si=57KV6YiMQtmmf6dpZfLB_Q