Details of two new courses to help people before and during menopause have been published as part of the launch of the UK’s first menopause education and support programme, created by UCL researchers.
The UK National Menopause Education and Support Program (InTune) is being developed by Professors Joyce Harper (UCL EGA Institute for Women’s Health), Dr Shema Tariq (UCL Institute for Global Health) and Dr Nicky Keay (UCL Division of Medicine ). together with Dr Florence Rowe RD (UCL Division of Medicine).
The project has been undertaken in partnership with two charities, the Wellbeing of Women and the Sophia Forum. The scheme also has the support of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the British Menopause Society (BMS).
A key aim of the UCL team is to co-design InTune with a wide range of women and people affected by menopause, to ensure it is relevant, accessible and inclusive.
Over the past 12 months, the team has held two workshops (involving academics, clinicians, charity representatives, campaigners and other professionals working in the menopause), focus groups and a public consultation survey. Through this work, they have established the need for two separate but interrelated programs: Be prepared for menopause and the Perimenopause program.
Professor Joyce Harper said: “Our previous research has highlighted the urgent need for accessible, evidence-based menopause education and support. We now want to use our research expertise to respond to this.
Our vision is to provide high quality, inclusive menopause awareness, education and support for all. We will achieve this by developing and delivering a non-commercial program of holistic menopause support and education, co-designed with stakeholders and the public.”
Joyce Harper, Professor, University College London
Be prepared for menopause is a two-hour interactive session aimed at people under 40 who have not yet reached menopause, but anyone can attend. The session will cover what menopause is, symptoms, diagnosis, management (including lifestyle modification) and life after menopause. The UCL team uses a new teaching style, including the screening of short videos from key experts in the field, followed by opportunities for course participants to reflect on and discuss the issues raised.
The first version of the course has already been developed and is being piloted across the UK.
THE Perimenopause program will be aimed at people already experiencing menopause-related symptoms to ensure they have peer support and learn more about perimenopause.
Perimenopause usually occurs about three to five years before the onset of menopause. During this stage women’s estrogen and progesterone levels begin to fluctuate, causing mood swings, irregular menstrual cycles and other menopausal symptoms.
This stage of menopause continues for up to a year after a woman’s last period and can often last between four and eight years in total.
Inspired by prenatal classes, the Perimenopause program it will last between six and eight weeks and will be delivered in a team environment. The team hopes the course will eventually be available through employers and in communities, combining training with mentoring and peer support.
The team will ensure that both courses are available online and in person, and that content is adapted for a wide range of target audiences, including people who are neurodeviant, racially or sexually disadvantaged and those living with a pre-existing health condition.
Dr Nicky Keay added: “We think the time is right for InTune, a national program to enable people to tune in to menopause, tune in to their bodies and tune in to each other.”
Plans for the scheme were first announced last year* after research led by Professor Harper showed that more than 90% of women had never had menopause education at school and more than 60% had started seeking information about it just started experiencing menopause symptoms**.
New details were posted on Women’s Health reveal how InTune can help address this lack of information and ensure that people reaching menopause have a better understanding of what’s happening in their bodies.
Dr Shema Tariq said: “InTune recognizes that with the right information and support, delivered to the right people, at the right time, we can empower communities to manage their health and wellbeing through this essential life change.” .
The team recently launched InTune at a House of Commons event – chaired by Carolyn Harris MP, who is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Menopause, and Professor Dame Lesley Regan, Women’s Health Ambassador for England – where discussed the need to provide menopause education and support***.
The team now hopes to secure further funding to ensure the program is refined and rigorously evaluated.
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