Breaking the menopause taboo: more must be done to support doctors, says BMA
BMJ 2020; 370 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m3107 (Published 06 August 2020) Cite this as: BMJ 2020;370:m3107
Employers should take a proactive approach to normalising the topic of menopause and should spread awareness of the impact that symptoms can have on doctors’ work, the BMA has said.
On 6 August the association published a report on the issue,1 including the findings of a survey that received 2000 responses from BMA members.
Of the respondents, 93% (1860) said that they had experienced symptoms such as insomnia, fatigue, loss of confidence, and debilitating hot flushes as a result of menopause, and 65% (1300) had experienced physical and mental symptoms. Of the 1860 respondents, 90% (1800) said that the symptoms had affected their working lives, and 38% said that the impact had been significant.
However, just 36% (720) of respondents had made changes to their working lives as a result of menopause. A further 38% (760) said that they wanted to make changes but were unable to. Only 16% (320) had discussed their menopause symptoms with their manager, and 47% (940) said that they had wanted to but had not felt comfortable doing so.
One respondent commented, “Raising the subject of menopause is taboo. I doubt it would lead to any tangible changes . . . raising a taboo subject is not worth it.”
Another said, “I suffer attacks of low confidence which makes me question my worth and ability to do my job. When coupled with the symptoms, I have often felt like giving up.”
Flexibility and support
In its report the BMA warned that the NHS could lose doctors if more was not done to support them. “The majority of women experience menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, with symptoms lasting an average of four years,” it said. “There are currently just over 30 000 women doctors in this age group on the GMC [General Medical Council] register.”
It added, “The health service is under immense pressure and we cannot afford to lose experienced doctors because of a lack of flexibility and support during a relatively short phase in life.”
The association recommended that employers should normalise the topic of menopause and spread awareness, particularly among managers, of the impact the symptoms can have on work. They should also enable doctors to work flexibly to make their symptoms more manageable and make adjustments to the workplace, such as improving room ventilation and access to toilet facilities, drinking water, and rest breaks.
Helena McKeown, chair of the BMA Representative Body, said, “Menopause is still a taboo subject in many workplaces, and that includes the medical profession.
“We need to ensure that we retain women doctors who are a crucial part of the workforce. Simple steps taken now to help women experiencing the menopause now, and for those in the future, will help to retain them and ensure less lost working days because of menopausal symptoms.”
Neena Modi, president of the Medical Women’s Federation, said she was pleased that the BMA had brought the issue of menopause into the open. She said, “We hope this report will help employers provide appropriate support for their employees and end the taboos around a normal physiological process.”