(NOTE: ‘women’ in this project refers to individuals who identify as such and/or are born with a genetic makeup that necessitates undergoing the female menopausal transition – peri-menopause, menopause, and post-menopause. For convenience, I will use the term ‘menopause’ to encompass the whole transition and the second half of women’s lives.)

• In conjunction with the hormonal top-up, evidence shows there are many other proactive steps we can take, which my collaborators and I are exploring for narrative development.
• The current recommendations suggest improving physical activity, sleep, stress management, and nutrition. Easier said than done, so we need extra support and knowledge in these areas.
• Hormones are present throughout our bodies. We have always had them. We need them to survive and function well. Balanced hormones help keep us well.
• During the menopause transition, hormones fluctuate and eventually decline significantly. Menopause affects the whole person, not just the reproductive organs, such as the ovaries. We should never underestimate the impact of diminishing hormones, as these issues are real. Here is a good resource in plain English, along with actionable advice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvT6NNpwA0I&t=56s
• You can find out your own menopause symptom scores here for free. It is called ‘MenoScale Score’ – developed by the team of scientists from ZOE, as the result of the world’s largest menopause study into the link between diet and menopause: https://zoe.com/menoscale?lead_id=51fc5152-b38d-412f-89bb-563af650ae1b
• Too often to this day, women are discouraged from exploring HRT options by untrained doctors. Be prepared to ask for second, third, and fourth opinions if this is the case. Don’t give up.
• Trained doctors provide evidence-based information about HRT. They encourage women to make an informed choice about whether they want a top-up.
• Here is a growing list of menopause doctors in Australia: https://www.healthyhormones.au/c/find-a-doctor/menopause-doctors-c452a877-11d5-45f3-a51f-7413aa160ca3
• And here, particularly suitable for telehealth for menopause support: https://wellfemme.com.au/
• Hormones play an important protective role. When hormones are no longer there, there will be some long-term health consequences we need to be aware of; therefore, we should never dismiss women’s menopause-related concerns. Some of the health consequences are:
• cardiovascular disease (e.g., stroke, high blood pressure),
• neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., dementia, Parkinson’s),
• mood disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, suicide ideation),
• inflammations (e.g., joint pain, autoimmune disorders, overactive Mast Cells),
• musculoskeletal diseases (e.g., osteoporosis),
• digestive issues (e.g., IBS, constipation, Crohn’s),
• Urogenital dysfunctions (e.g., UTI, pelvic pain),
• Even some cancers, and
• Worsening neurodivergent characteristics (hormone changes can cause profound effects on their brains, particularly on neurodivergent women, and it is one of the reasons why many women are diagnosed as neurodivergent in their perimenopause) https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-gudtd-2fb72336?utm_campaign=a_share_ep&utm_source=a_share_dir&utm_medium=dlink