Everyday I speak to women who have been struggling to get the right help and support for their menopause symptoms.

Ten years ago I had to have a total hysterectomy including removal of both of my ovaries, putting me in to immediate surgical menopause. I received no information or advice about the possible effects of my surgery and was simply told to visit my GP after a few weeks of leaving the hospital. Due to a lack of the right information and support I did not receive the treatment I needed at the right time.

A few months later I fell in to a very deep, dark place where I came very close to ending my own life. I was lucky; I had a supportive husband and family who got me the help I needed when I was not capable of doing that for myself.

Since then, I have become increasingly aware of just how many women are not receiving the right help and support for menopause, from their doctors, their employers and sometimes even their own families and friends. This is all due to a chronic lack of menopause education, information and awareness.

I don't want women to have to continue to struggle with their menopause symptoms in the way that I did.

That’s why I’ve started this campaign to Make Menopause Matter with four very clear, common sense aims which would improve menopause education, information, care and support for everyone.

This lack of education and awareness is costing women their health and wellbeing, their careers, their relationships and tragically sometimes their lives. When I looked into suicide rates for women the highest rate is between 45-55 which can't be a coincidence. This lack of education and awareness is also costing the NHS. Better education would result in quicker diagnosis, fewer GP appointments and onward referrals and huge time and money savings for the NHS.

Women also need to be better supported in the workplace. Studies show that women have very little support - some are forced to give up work altogether as a result of their symptoms.

Supporting women to remain at work by implementing a few simple adjustments is common sense. Government and business need to recognise that menopause awareness and support in every workplace is a win-win situation.

It is also time to make menopause information available to everybody with a dedicated public health campaign and for it to be taught in schools as part of the  RSE curriculum. Age appropriate education will ensure that those directly affected will feel better informed and those around them will have greater understanding and hopefully more compassion.

Update - I am delighted to say that menopause was included in RSE curriculum in England from Sept 2020 and that all medical students will be taught about menopause as part of a mandatory womens health module from 2024.

Huge thanks to everyone who has signed, shared and supported this campaign to date. We are moving in the right direction but there is still much work to be done. 

Please join me in calling on the Ministers responsible for Health, Work and Education named in this petition to #MakeMenopauseMatter by ensuring 

1. Mandatory menopause training for all GPs and medical students.

2. Menopause awareness and support in every workplace.

3. Menopause to be included in the RSE curriculum in schools. 

4. A national government funded public health campaign for menopause.