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Menopause Awareness Toolkit

Menopause Awareness Toolkit

Toolkit collated by Nicky Bright with Sarah Davies

What Is Menopause?

The word menopause literally means when your periods stop. Meno refers to your menstrual cycle and pause refers to the cycle stopping. The medical definition of being menopausal is when you have not had a period for one year.

Learn More on NHS.uk
There are four key stages to be aware of:
  • Pre-menopause: the time in your life before any menopausal symptoms occur.
  • Perimenopause: when you experience menopausal symptoms due to hormone changes, but still have your period.
  • Menopause: when you do not have a period for 12 consecutive months.
  • Postmenopause: the time in your life after you have not had a period for 12 consecutive months. Women spend on average a third of their life postmenopausal.
Learn More

What Causes Menopause and the Symptoms?

The menopause occurs when your ovaries no longer produce eggs and, as a result, the levels of hormones called estrogen, progesterone and testosterone fall.

Estrogen protects a number of different systems in your body: your brain, skin, bones, heart, urinary functions and the genital area – low levels of estrogen can affect all these parts of your body. Prior to this you may experience menopausal symptoms but still have periods, this is known as the perimenopause. During your perimenopause and menopause, hormone levels fluctuate greatly and this imbalance can result in a range of symptoms.

Learn More

What Causes Menopause and the Symptoms?

The average age of the menopause in the UK is 51 years – therefore the last period occurs, on average, at 50 years old – however, this can be earlier for some women (see below). Symptoms of the perimenopause often start at around 45 years of age. Often when you read about menopausal symptoms, it also includes perimenopausal symptoms as they are the same, and both are due to your hormones changing.

  • Early Menopause - if the menopause occurs before the age of 45
  • Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) – if the menopause happens under 40 years old
  • Surgical Menopause – an early menopause as a result of:
    • If you have had your ovaries removed
    • If you have radiotherapy to your pelvic area as a treatment for cancer
    • If you have received certain types of chemotherapy drugs that treat cancer
    • If you have medical or surgical treatment for endometriosis or premenstrual syndrome
    • Some genetic and autoimmune factors can contribute to early menopause
    • If you have had your womb (uterus) removed by a hysterectomy, before your menopause, you may experience an early menopause even if your ovaries are not removed.

The Diverse Educators’ Menopause Awareness Toolkit

We are collating a growing bank of resources to support you in reflecting on the following questions:
  • Why is menopause awareness important?
  • How can we create school cultures and ethos to break down the stigma of menopause?
  • How can we change perspectives on the menopause?
  • Why should menopause awareness be a concern for men?
  • How can we support more teachers and school leaders through the menopause?
  • How can we retain more teachers through supporting teachers and school leaders through the menopause?
  • How can we reengage more teachers by providing menopause support?

Articles

The Lancet

Time for a balanced conversation about menopause

Read

Schools Week (Dec 21)

Managing menopause is a challenge all leaders must rise to

Read

Schools Week (July 21)

Schools can’t dismiss menopause as a women’s issue

Read

TES (October 23)

Why we’ve created a menopause policy

Read

TES (April 22)

Menopause: the legal requirements for schools to help staff

Read

TES (Dec 21)

Menopause is real so why don’t we talk about it?

Read

TES (Oct 21)

Menopause: how to support school staff

Read

TES (July 21)

Teaching with the menopause was better in lockdown

Read

TES (October 19)

How to manage the menopause as a teacher

Read

TES (July 19)

How schools are tackling the menopause

Read

TES (June 19)

Menopause is real so why don’t we talk about it?

Read

TES (June 19)

Schools must act to end the damaging taboo around menopause

Read

Blogs

Diane Danzebrink, founder of #Make Menopause Matter campaign, My Second Spring

View

Is your school Menopause savvy?

View

Menopause in the workplace: what employers should be doing, Positive Pause

View

School life and the menopause, Now Teach

View

Teaching and the menopause: your stories, Education support

View

The Effing Menopause, Helen Clare

View

Books

Earle, Liz. The Good Menopause Guide

View

Frostrup, Mariella and Smellie, Alice. Cracking the Menopause: While Keeping Yourself Together

View

Henderson, Anne. Natural Menopause

View

McCall, Davina with Potter, Dr Naomi. Menopausing: The Positive Roadmap to Your Second Spring

View

Muir, Kate. Everything You Need to Know about Menopause

View

Newson, Dr Louise. Preparing for the Perimenopause and Menopause

View

Newson, Dr Louise. The Definitive Guide to Perimenopause and Menopause

View

Rolston, Yansie and Christie, Yvonne (eds). Black and Menopausal: Intimate Stories of Navigating the Change

View

Thorogood, Bev. The Business of Menopause: A Guide for Working Women

View

Podcasts

Balance App series of podcasts

Listen

BBC Sounds Business Daily: Hormones: Oestrogen and the Menopause

Listen

Coffee With The Coaching Revolutionaries: Helen Clare - Passionate Menopause Coach For Educators

Listen

The Dr Louise Newson Podcast

Listen

Employment Law

Listen

MENOPAUSE: The Good, The Bad & The Downright Sweaty

Listen

Menopause: The ultimate taboo (CIPD)

Listen

Postcards from Midlife by Lorraine Candy & Trish Halpin

Listen

Supporting employees experiencing the menopause (XpertHR)

Listen

We Lead Well Podcast: It’s time to talk about the Menopause

Listen

Why the Menopause Is a Business Issue

Listen

Resources

Balance for Corporates, the Current Workplace Scenario: Resources

View

Dr Louise Newson Clinic Factsheets, Booklets, Podcasts

View

Dr Louise Newson – Creating and Working in a Menopause Confident Organisation

View

Managing the Menopause in the Workplace (NASUWT)

View

Menopause Guides, Checklists and Model Policy (NEU)

View

Menopause Transition: Effects on Women’s Economic Participation (DfE 2017)

View

Menopause Whilst Black, Karen Arthur

View

Now Teach Resource

View

Talking Menopause

View

The Balance App Resources

View

The Menopause at Work: Guidance for Line Managers (CIPD)

View

The Menopause at Work: Printable Resources (CIPD)

View

Videos

Davina McCall and Louise Newson on Davina’s C4 Documentary

View on YouTube

Davina McCall, ‘Sex, Mind and the Menopause’ (signed version)

View

Davina McCall, ‘Sex, Myths and the Menopause’ (signed version)

View

Menopause Support Charity, Video Blogs

View on Menopause Support

Menopause Training Company Video Channel

View on YouTube

My Menopause Doctor

View on YouTube

Teachers and the Menopause (NASUWT)

View on YouTube

Webinar: Let’s Talk Menopause (CIPD)

View on CIPD