Pacific Blue Cross is part of a three-organization collaboration studying menopause in British Columbia. The Women’s Health Research Institute, in collaboration with Pacific Blue Cross and the BC Women’s Health Foundation together published the first-ever provincial study exploring perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.
The study found that 92 per cent of women going through menopause have experienced moderate to severe symptoms, nearly 10 per cent say those symptoms affected their work to such a degree that they needed to turn down job promotions and career advancement opportunities. “Some respondents even report being fired,” the report’s researchers write.
Entitled, HER-BC: Health and Economics Research on Midlife Woman in British Columbia Report, the survey of 1,858 women between 39 and 60 further found that 32 per cent agreed that menopause symptoms affected their job in some way, while 24 per cent report missing days of work. Among those surveyed, 43.5 per cent sought care from extended health care providers including naturopaths, massage therapy, acupuncture and mental health professionals, on average spending almost $900 on these services annually, out-of-pocket. Three quarters of those using such services reported improved symptoms.
Stigma and silence
They say stigma and silence continues to hinder awareness, while 41.2 per cent report having a concurrent mental health condition. “They expressed feeling unprepared, disoriented by unexpected symptoms and unsupported by healthcare and workplaces. This was associated with declining mental, physical and social health,” the report states. The lack of awareness about how to best support well-being through this life stage, they say, extends into healthcare interactions “where participants reported that menopause and its treatment were often dismissed, avoided or misunderstood,” they add.
Among the report’s recommendations, the organizations recommend public health campaigns, collaborative health care efforts to improve access to care and continuity of care, workplace support policies, further research (the long-term consequences of menopause include osteoporosis and heart disease) and the prevention of workplace discrimination.
“When menopause symptoms impact the ability of a person to carry out their normal functions in the workplace, those symptoms should be considered a disability; employers have a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate that worker,” they write. “Additionally, employers are under a legal obligation to protect workers with a disability from discrimination.”