GOOD MORNING. I'M GONNA CALL THE
SELECT COMMITTEE ON REPRODUCTIVE
HEALTH TO ORDER I WANNA THANK,
UM EVERYONE WHO'S HERE TODAY,
BOTH IN THE ROOM, BUT ALSO
VIRTUALLY, UM, I ALSO WANNA GIVE
A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO, UM, MY
STAFF FOR WORKING ON THIS SERIES
OF HEARINGS, ESPECIALLY SARAH
GOODMAN, WHO KNOWS MORE ABOUT
MENOPAUSE THAN ANYONE HER AGE AT
THIS POINT, UM, AS WELL AS
SERGEANT SUPPORT STAFF AND THE
INCREDIBLE PANELISTS WHO ARE YOU
WILL HEAR FROM TODAY. UH, TODAY
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE OUR
DISCUSSIONS ON THE IMPACTS OF
MENOPAUSE ON PEOPLE'S LIVES HERE
IN CALIFORNIA AND HOW OUR STATE
CAN DO BETTER TO HELP THEM. AND
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WE HAD
OUR FIRST HEARING A COUPLE OF
WEEKS AGO, SORT OF INTRODUCING
OUR CONVERSATION ON MENOPAUSE.
AND AFTERWARDS, I CANNOT TELL
YOU HOW MANY WOMEN IN THE
CAPITAL COMMUNITY CAME UP TO ME
TO THANK US FOR HAVING THIS
CONVERSATION, AND I THINK IT WAS
JUST A REAL UM. MOMENT OF
CLARITY FOR ME ABOUT THE VALUE
OF THIS OPEN PUBLIC CONVERSATION
ON MENOPAUSE. THIS TRANSITION
THAT EVERY WOMAN WHO LIVES LONG
ENOUGH WILL GO THROUGH AND THE
FACT THAT HISTORICALLY THIS HAS
BEEN A TOPIC WE DON'T TALK ABOUT
AND TODAY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
WILL COME UP WITH OUR PANELISTS
IS THE IMPORTANCE OF DE
STIGMATIZING THE CONVERSATION
AROUND MENOPAUSE, AND I THINK
THESE HEARINGS ARE A STEP IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION TO PUBLICLY TALK
ABOUT MENOPAUSE. UM USE MEDICAL
WORDS THAT I DON'T THINK HAVE
EVER BEEN USED IN THESE HEARING
ROOMS AS MANY TIMES AS THEY WERE
AT THE LAST HEARING. UM AND BE
WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW THIS
IMPACTS EVERY WOMAN WHO WILL
COME OF AGE AND GO THROUGH
MENOPAUSE. SO TODAY'S FOCUS WILL
BE THE IMPACT OF MENOPAUSE ON
WOMEN'S DAY TO DAY LIVES AND
WHAT MENOPAUSE LOOKS LIKE, AND
THE SOCIAL AND WORKPLACE ISSUES
THAT ACCOMPANY IT. UM MENOPAUSAL
SYMPTOMS ARE REALITY FOR
APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER OF
WORKING WOMEN IN THE UNITED
STATES. THE MAYO CLINIC STUDY
FOUND THAT MENOPAUSE COSTS $1.8
BILLION IN LOST WORKING TIME IN
THE U S¼ ALONE, INCLUDING THE
COST OF EMPLOYEES RETIRING EARLY
BECAUSE OF SYMPTOMS AND STIGMA.
AND I HAVE TO SAY WHEN WE BEGAN
THIS JOURNEY OF DECIDING WHAT WE
WOULD TALK ABOUT IN THE
MENOPAUSAL REALM, THIS HEARING
WAS NOT ON OUR RADAR UNTIL WE
STARTED TO DO RESEARCH AND
REALIZED THE ENORMOUS IMPACT
THAT MENOPAUSE HAS ON WOMEN AT
THE HEIGHT OF THEIR, UM,
PRODUCTIVITY IN THE WORKFORCE.
IS THERE BECOMING LEADERS AND AS
THEY START TO HAVE THESE
SYMPTOMS AND SOMETIMES STEP OUT
OR STEP BACK? AND SO WITH THAT
WE'RE TRYING TO DESTIGMATIZE IT
HAVE THE CONVERSATION. I WANNA
BE CLEAR THAT MENOPAUSE IS A
BIOLOGICAL PHENOMENON, BUT ITS
IMPACTS BASED ON THE
ACCOMMODATIONS THAT WE'LL HEAR
ABOUT TODAY SO THE IMPACTS WE'LL
BE TALKING ABOUT ARE THOSE THAT
HAPPEN DURING THE MENOPAUSAL
TRANSITION, BUT ALSO MENOPAUSE
IS LONG TERM EFFECTS, WHICH CAN
BE JUST AS SEVERE AND ACUTE, SO
THE LONG TERM IMPACT ON WOMEN'S
CAREERS AND THEIR PRODUCTIVITY
IN THE WORKPLACE. UM. AS WE'VE
ALREADY DISCUSSED IN OUR FIRST
HEARING. MENOPAUSE IS OFTEN
UNDERTREATED AND UNDER
DISCUSSED. 70 3% OF WOMEN WHO
HAVE MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS,
INCLUDING HOT FLASHES, NIGHT
SWEATS, SLEEP DISTURBANCES, MOOD
SWINGS, AND MORE ARE UNTREATED,
ACCORDING TO A 2021 STUDY. SO. A
QUARTER OF WOMEN ARE WORKING AND
HAVING THESE SYMPTOMS AND 70 3%
OF THOSE WOMEN ARE UNTREATED,
AND THAT IS IN PART BECAUSE ONLY
ONE IN FIVE OF Ó BGY N S¼ ARE
TRAINED IN MENOPAUSAL CARE, SO
WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO
DESTIGMATIZE AND SHAPE WOMEN'S
EXPERIENCE OF MEN ACROSS
MENOPAUSE ACROSS THE MEDICAL,
WORKPLACE AND INTERPERSONAL
SETTINGS AND WHEN, AS WE LOOK AT
MENSTRUAL EQUITY AND THE WORK WE
HAVE TO DO FOR WOMEN IN
CALIFORNIA, MENOPAUSE HAS TO BE
A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION.
WE'VE POSITIVE SHIFT, WITH MORE
EMPLOYERS STEPPING UP TO OFFER
SUPPORT FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS.
WE'LL HEAR FROM ONE COMPANY
TODAY WHO PROVIDES MENOPAUSAL
BENEFITS TO THEIR EMPLOYEES. BUT
THERE IS SO MUCH MORE WORK TO BE
DONE TO BREAK THE STIGMA AROUND
THIS TOPIC. UH, WE CANNOT TELL
WOMEN TO JUST SUFFER THROUGH IT.
WE CANNOT GIVE PEOPLE A PILL AND
SAY DEAL WITH IT. UM WE HAVE TO
BREAK DOWN THE STIGMA, SPEAK
OPENLY ABOUT MENOPAUSE AND BUILD
SOLUTIONS TOGETHER, UM, TO GIVE
WOMEN WHAT THEY DESERVE AS THEY
GO THROUGH THIS CRITICAL
TRANSITION, AND AS MY COLLEAGUE,
ASSEMBLY MEMBER PIN SAID IN THE
LAST HEARING, THIS SHOULD BE A
CELEBRATION OF THIS NEW PHASE IN
OUR LIFE AND NOT, UM, ANYTHING
BUT THAT, SO LET'S HELP WOMEN
HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE. UM SO WITH
THAT, I THINK WE CAN MOVE INTO
OUR FIRST CONVERSATION, WHICH
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT. WE
HAVE, UM WE ARE BEING JOINED BY
THE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT,
CAROLYN HARRIS, CHAIR OF THE ALL
PARTY PARLIAMENT GROUP ON
MENOPAUSE. MP HARRIS IS ONE OF
THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR
BRINGING MENOPAUSE INTO THE FORE
ACROSS THE POND IN THE U Kò, UM
I WANNA THANK HER FOR BEING HERE
AND FOR HER INCREDIBLE
LEADERSHIP IN THE U Kò. I THINK
WE HAVE A LOT TO LEARN FROM YOU.
UM AND I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO TAKE
OVER AND TALK ABOUT HOW THE
MOVEMENT STARTED ACROSS THE
POND. MP HARRIS. IF YOU'LL JUST
SPEAK UP, YOU'LL COME ON THE
CAMERA. I WAS ON MUTE. THERE YOU
ARE. WE SEE YOU HØI. HØI THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY
TO TALK. IT'S REALLY AN HONOR TO
CHAT WITH YOU TONIGHT ABOUT MY
EXPERIENCE OF TRYING TO GET
MENOPAUSE ON THE POLITICAL
AGENDA, AND IT BASICALLY STARTED
BACK IN 2017 WHEN SEVERAL LOCAL
GRASS ROOTS CAMPAIGN GROUPS IN
THE U Kò CAME AND ASKED ME WOULD
I GIVE THEM A PLATFORM? UH AND
BY THAT? I MEAN THEY WERE
ASKING, WOULD I TAKE THEM INTO
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AND THEM AN
OPPORTUNITY TO DO A BIT OF A
SOCIAL MEDIA THING. GETTING MPS
TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS WITH THEIR
PLACARDS AND THEIR POSTERS. ONE
OF THEM WAS TALKING ABOUT THE
LACK OF MEDICAL AWARENESS AROUND
MENOPAUSE, AND THE OTHER WAS
TALKING ABOUT THE LACK OF
KNOWLEDGE AMONGST WOMEN AND THE
MEN. OF COURSE, UM, AND THAT
STARTED ME ON A TRAY, A SORT OF
A TRAIL OF, UM, EVENTS WHERE I
STARTED TALKING ABOUT MIRANDA
PAUSE IN THE CHAMBER. AND EVERY
TIME I SPOKE ABOUT THE
MENOPAUSE, I TALK ABOUT TRYING
TO HELP OTHER WOMEN BECAUSE I
SAIL THROUGH MY MENOPAUSE,
COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS TO THE FACT
THAT I COULD IN ANY WAY
POTENTIALLY BE MENOPAUSAL. IN
FACT, I THOUGHT THAT I'D IT A
CABINET HAD GONE AND HADN'T
AFFECTED ME. UM AND I THINK THIS
IS TRUE OF SO MANY WOMEN BECAUSE
WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE
MENOPAUSE IS. WE DON'T
UNDERSTAND. THERE ARE OVER 40
SYMPTOMS VERY OFTEN. WE FOCUS ON
ONE ELEMENT AND WE GO AND GET
SEEK HELP FROM A DOCTOR ON THAT.
FOR ME. IT WAS ANXIETY AND
DEPRESSION BELIEVE, AND I HAD A
NERVOUS BREAKDOWN AND I ENDED UP
ON ANTIDEPRESSANTS. AND I HEAR
THAT STORY FROM SO MANY WOMEN.
UM AND I WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW
WE NEEDED TO DO BETTER BY WOMEN,
NOT REALIZING THAT I WAS JUST
ABOUT TO BREAK THE ICE ON
PROBABLY THE BIGGEST SCANDAL IN
TERMS OF WOMEN'S HEALTH AT THIS
COUNTRY THIS WORLD HAS EVER SEEN
, AND THAT IS HOW BADLY SERVED
WOMEN THROUGH THE MENOPAUSE ARE
WE KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ON
AVERAGE, MOST WOMEN ARE SEE
BETWEEN EIGHT AND 10, DIFFERENT
DOCTORS OR CONSULTANT
APPOINTMENTS FOR VARIOUS
DIFFERENT CONDITIONS BEFORE THE
MENOPAUSE IS EVEN THOUGHT OF,
AND THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT
THEY BE IN THOUGHT OR LINKED
WITH AS BEING THE PROBLEM. I
SAID, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY
FIBROMYALGIA, EARLY ONSET
DEMENTIA, UM ALL WEIRD AND
WONDERFUL THINGS WHEN ACTUALLY,
THE MENOPAUSE IS THE ROOT CAUSE
OF SO MANY OF THESE PROBLEMS.
ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE RECENTLY
DONE, AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF I
HAVE A HUGE CONCERN THAT A LOT
OF WOMEN INVOLVED IN THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ARE
THERE BECAUSE OF THE MENOPAUSE
OR THEY ARE EXPERIENCING MAN OF
PAUSE WHILE SITTING THERE AND
IT'S AFFECTING THEIR BEHAVIOR,
AND WE ACTUALLY DESIGNED A
BOOKMARK WHERE WE PUT ALL THE 40
SYMPTOMS ON THE BOOKMARK, AND I
TAKE THEM TO EVENTS AND WHEN I
PRODUCE THIS BOOKMARK AND PEOPLE
IN THE AUDIENCE, MEN AND WOMEN
LOOK AT IT THE NUMBER OF TIMES
THAT THEY SORT OF HAVE LIKE. I
FELT MOMENT WHERE THEY THINK.
OH, MY GOD. I'VE GOT THAT OR MY
WIFE HAS GOT THAT. I CANNOT
BELIEVE THAT THIS IS POTENTIALLY
THE MENOPAUSE, SO IT JUST IS
TESTAMENT TO THE FACT THE LACK
OF KNOWLEDGE AMONGST WOMEN,
SOCIETY AND MEDICAL
PROFESSIONALS AS TO WHAT THE
MENOPAUSE IS, HAS LED US TO BE
WHERE WE ARE TODAY. 51% OF THE
POPULATION. IT'S 2024 AND WE ARE
NOW TALKING ABOUT WOMEN'S HEALTH
IN TERMS OF THE MENOPAUSE. WHEN
WOMEN HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS FROM
THE DAY WE ARRIVED ON THIS
EARTH, AND ONLY NOW WE EVEN
ATTEMPTING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
MOVING ON FROM TALKING ABOUT IT
IN A GENERAL SENSE IN THE U Kò
PARLIAMENT. WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL
PRIVATE MEMBERS BILLS, WHICH ARE
AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE YOU GET
SELECTED A BIT LIKE A RAFFLE AND
YOU CAN TRY TO GET LEGISLATION
THROUGH WHICH WOULD ENABLE
SOMETHING TO BECOME A LAW A
PARLIAMENTARY BILL AS IT WERE,
AND I DECIDED THAT I WANTED TO
DO SOMETHING ON MENOPAUSE. I
CHOSE PRE HRT FOR WOMEN. THAT'S
HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY, NOT
BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT ALL WOMEN
CAN AND SHOULD TAKE HÌ R Tð, BUT
I WANTED SOMETHING THAT WOULD
GET ATTENTION GLOBALLY THAT THE
U Kò WERE TALKING ABOUT
MENOPAUSE AND THE REASON WHY I
TRIED FOR FREE HÌ R Tð IS
BECAUSE I'M A WELSH POLITICIAN.
I SIT IN THE U Kò PARLIAMENT,
BUT IN WALES, SCOTLAND AND
NORTHERN IRELAND, OUR
PRESCRIPTIONS ARE FREE. WE DO
NOT PAY FOR MEDICATION. IN THE
ENGLISH IN ENGLAND. YOU ALL PAY
FOR MEDICATION, AND ONE OF THE
THINGS I WAS HEARING FROM WOMEN
WERE THEY COULDN'T AFFORD TO GO
ON AND HOLD ONE REPLACEMENT
BECAUSE IT WAS £10 SOMETHING PER
ITEM, AND IT WAS MULTIPLE ITEMS
AND SCANDALOUSLY IN THIS COUNTRY
. IF YOU WERE ON A HÌ R Tð,
WHICH HAS GOT TWO HORMONES IN
ONE PRODUCT YOU PAY FOR THE TWO
HORMONES. SO SOME WOMEN WERE
SPENDING AS MUCH AS £40, WHICH
IS ABOUT $50 A MONTH ON
MEDICATION. THEY AFFORD TO DO. I
DIDN'T CONVINCE THE U Kò
GOVERNMENT TO GIVE IT FREE, BUT
I DID CONVINCE THEM TO GIVE IT
AS A ONCE ANNUAL FEE OF £18,
WHICH IS ABOUT $20 A YEAR SO
WOMEN IN ENGLAND CAN NOW ACCESS
HORMONE THERAPY TREATMENT FOR
ABOUT $20 A YEAR. THEN THEY
RENEW THEIR PRESCRIPTION. ONCE
WE'VE DONE THAT WE LITERALLY
OPENED UP A CAN OF WORMS BECAUSE
FROM THEN ON COUNTRIES FROM A
RIGHT ACROSS THE WORLD STARTED
ASKING US WHAT MORE THEY COULD
DO TO SUPPORT THE WOMEN IN THEIR
COUNTRY. WE KNOW FROM WORK DONE
BY THE FORCE OF SOCIETY IN THIS
COUNTRY THAT EIGHT OUT OF 10
WOMEN ARE WALKING AWAY FROM JOBS
OR GOING PART TIME. ONE IN 10
ARE LEAVING COMPLETELY. WE KNOW
THAT A HUGE PROPORTION OF WOMEN
WHO ARE IN WORK DO NOT TAKE
PROMOTION BECAUSE THEY JUST DO
NOT THINK THAT THEY CAPABLE OF
THE JOB THAT THEY'D LIKE TO DO
BECAUSE THEY'VE LOST THEIR SELF.
THEY'VE LOST ANY SELF WORTH.
THEY'VE LOST THEIR CONFIDENCE,
AND THEY THEY FEEL AS IF THEY
THAT IS PROBABLY THE WORD I HEAR
MORE FROM WOMEN THAN ANYONE, THE
FEELING OF SELF WORTHLESSNESS
THAT THEY FEEL THAT NOBODY WOULD
VALUE THEM AND THAT THEY HAVE
GOT NÓ VALUABLE PLACE IN
SOCIETY. UH WE KNOW ABOUT
MARRIAGES THAT ARE BROKEN UP. I
MEAN, THE COMMON THEORY BEING
THAT BECAUSE THE WOMAN HAS LOST
HER SEX DRIVE CAUSES PROBLEMS,
BUT IT'S A IT'S A BIGGER ISSUE
THAN THAT. I MEAN, A LOT OF
WOMEN WHEN THEY DO LOSE A
LIBIDO, BUT THE ABILITY TO
CONTROL THEIR TEMPER IS A CAN BE
STRETCHED THE DISINTEREST IN
EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING COULD BE
AN IRRITANT. WE KNOW DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE INCREASES IN THE
MENOPAUSE THAT IS, WOMEN BECOME
VICTIMS. OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
BECAUSE OF ALL THE THINGS I'VE
SAID ABOUT TENSIONS IN A
RELATIONSHIP WOMEN YOU'VE
EXPERIENCED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
ANYWAY. EXPERIENCE A WORSE
MENOPAUSE COS A LOT OF THE
SYMPTOMS UH, AND THE FEELINGS
ASSOCIATED WITH BEING A VICTIM
OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ARE VERY
SIMILAR, IF NOT EXACTLY THE SAME
AS THE SYMPTOMS OF THE
MENOPAUSE. WE KNOW THIS IS 16
PER CENT RISE IN SUICIDE AMONGST
MENOPAUSAL WOMEN, PRIMARILY
BECAUSE THEY ARE REALLY AT A
LOSS TO KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH
THEM. THEY'RE EITHER UNABLE TO
GET SUPPORT FROM A GP BECAUSE
THE GP DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE
MENOPAUSE OR BECAUSE THEY ARE
NOT GOING TO A GP BECAUSE THEY
DON'T KNOW THAT THEY ARE
MENOPAUSAL. AND JUST DON'T KNOW
THEY FIT A BRICK WALL, AND THE
ONLY ANSWER FOR THEM IS TO TAKE
THEIR OWN LIFE. AS I SAID
EARLIER ON IN THIS, I AM
CONVINCED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF
WOMEN IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED
PROBLEMS TO THE MENOPAUSE THAT
HAVE LED THEM THERE. WE KNOW
THAT A LOT OF WOMEN TURN TO
ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AS SELF
MEDICATION WHERE THEY DON'T KNOW
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THEM. THEY
HAVE AN EXTRA GLASS OF WINE.
THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
THEY GET BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A
CAR FOLLOWING MORNING, DRIVING
TO WORK DOING THE SCHOOL RUN,
WHAM! BAM THEY EITHER GET PICKED
FOR DRINK DRIVING, OR THEY ARE
INVOLVED IN SOME KIND OF
MOTORING COLLISION, WHICH LEADS
THEM TO BE CHARGED WITH DRIVING
OFFENSES AND LEADS THEM TO
PRISON. I SPENT A WEEK LAST WEEK
IN A U Kò WOMEN'S PRISON. WHERE
I WOULD SAY 75 PER CENT OF THE
POPULATION WERE EITHER
PERIMENOPAUSAL OR MENOPAUSAL. I
MET SEVERAL WOMEN WHO WERE IN
FOR DRIVING OFFENSES CAUSE
THROUGH THEM, NOT THEM DRIVING
AND HAVING A BRAIN FOG OR SOME
KIND OF EPISODE WHILE THEY WERE
DRIVING, WHICH LED THEM TO
COMMIT A CRIME. I MET WOMEN WHO
WERE IN THERE FOR DRINK DRIVING.
I MET WOMEN WHO WERE THERE
BECAUSE THEY WERE IN CONTROL AND
COURSE IT COERCIVE RELATIONSHIPS
AND DURING THE MENOPAUSE, THEY
WERE AT THE LOWER STEP, AND THEY
WERE I MET WOMEN WHO RETALIATED
ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. THEY'VE
GONE FOR MANY YEARS BEING
VICTIMS, AND THEY JUST COULD NOT
TAKE IT ANY MORE. AND THEY
REACHED A POINT WHERE THEY SAW
THE RED MIST. THEY RETALIATED
AND THEY BECOME THE PERPETRATORS
. THE REASON I COME TO THIS
CONCLUSION ORIGINALLY IS I'VE
DONE A LOT OF WORK ON PROBLEM
GAMBLING, AND ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WAS ASTOUNDING ME WAS HOW
MANY WOMEN WERE TURNED INTO
PROBLEM GAMBLING AT AN AGE WHERE
YOU WOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED THEY
WERE THROUGH ANY A PHASE WHERE
THEY WOULD BECOME INVOLVED IN
CRIMINALITY. BUT NOT ONLY DID
THEY BECOME INVOLVED IN PROBLEM
GAMBLING TO THE POINT WHERE THEY
STALLED TO FUND IT. BUT THEY'D
NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN GAMBLING
BEFORE AND THEY ALL TOLD ME THAT
THEY WERE LOOKING AT THEIR
PHONES AT TWO OR THREE O'CLOCK
IN THE MORNING AND ABLE TO SWEEP
ASLEEP. FEELING DEPRESSED,
FEELING ANXIOUS. I'D LOCKED UP
THEIR PHONE AND HAD TURNED TO
THE ONLINE SITES AS A COMPANY
AND A WAY OF SELF MEDICATING IF
YOU'D LIKE, AND THEY BECOME
ADDICTED TO IT, AND THEY ENDED
UP COMMITTING CRIMES TO FUND THE
GAMBLING. SO WHAT I'VE REALIZED
IS THERE IS NÓ AREA OF SOCIAL
POLICY THAT DOES NOT PAY THE
PRICE FOR US NOT DEALING WITH
THE MENOPAUSE EARLY ON SOME OF
THE THINGS THAT I'VE CALLED FOR
IN THE U Kò. PARLIAMENT IS A
PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN. I
THINK EVERY WOMAN EVERY
EMPLOYER, EVERY MAN NEEDS TO
KNOW WHAT THE SYMPTOMS OF THE
MENOPAUSE ARE THAT ARE OVER 40
LIKE I'VE SAID SO VERY OFTEN.
THE GP OR THE DOCTOR DOESN'T
REALLY UNDERSTAND ALL THE
SYMPTOMS AND NOT JOINING UP THE
DOTS WHEN WOMEN ARE ACTUALLY
PRESENTING INSURANCE, PRIVATE
HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES DON'T
UNDERSTAND THE MENOPAUSE VERY
OFTEN. THEY TELL ME THAT THEY
PLAY FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT
APPOINTMENTS ONLY AT THE END OF
THE ROAD TO DISCOVER THE WOMAN
WAS MENOPAUSAL. I VERY MUCH LIKE
TO SEE PRIVATE HEALTH COMPANIES,
ACTUALLY, INCLUDING AND POSE IN
THE STANDARD PACKAGE AND NOT AS
A PREMIUM PACKAGE. UM I WOULD
LIKE ALL WOMEN IF THEY'VE NOT
HAD THAT CONVERSATION BY THE
TIME THEY REACH 40 TO HAVE A
CONVERSATION WITH THE DOCTOR,
WHERE THEY ARE TOLD WHAT THE
SYMPTOMS ARE SO THEY CAN BE
PREPARED FOR WHEN THEY DO START
TO EXPERIENCE THEM AND TAKE
ACTION EARLIER SO THAT IT
DOESN'T BECOME A HUGE PROBLEM,
WHICH WILL LEAD THEM TO LEAVE
WORK. EMPLOYERS ARE WASTING SO
MUCH TIME AND MONEY AND RESOURCE
BY LOSING GOOD WOMEN FROM THE
WORKFORCE BECAUSE WOMEN ARE
WALKING AWAY WHEN THEY'RE AT THE
PEAK OF THEIR CAREER BECAUSE
THEY'RE UNABLE TO FUNCTION. MANY
WOMEN WILL WALK AWAY WILL NOT BE
IN JOBS, WHICH WILL LEAVE THEM
FINANCIALLY WELL OFF. MANY WOMEN
WILL BE WORKING IN STORES IN
FACTORIES IN IN HOSPITAL
KITCHENS AS CLEANERS AND YOU
KNOW THESE KINDS OF JOB WHERE
FINANCIALLY THEY ARE. THEY ARE
WORKING TO LIVE. WHAT HAPPENS IN
THIS COUNTRY IS THOSE WOMEN
EITHER END UP CLAIMING
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT, WHICH
MEANS THEY HAVE TO BE. THEY HAVE
TO BE ABLE TO WORK, WHICH
THEY'VE ALREADY PROVED. THEY
CAN'T BECAUSE THEY THEY FINDING
WORK TOO DIFFICULT OR THEY END
UP GOING ON. LONG TERM SICKNESS
BENEFIT NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH
THE MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION. IN
THIS COUNTRY. WE HAVE NEARLY A
MILLION WOMEN OVER 50 OR
ECONOMICALLY INACTIVE WHO ARE
PRIMARILY ON THE SICK AS WE CALL
IT WITH CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED
WITH MENTAL HEALTH. IF WE WERE
LOOKING AT THAT AND TREATING
THOSE WOMEN, I'M SURE YOU VAST
MAJORITY OF THOSE WOMEN COULD BE
HELPED IF WE WALKING THROUGH HÌ
R Tð, CERTAINLY THROUGH THE
KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT IS WRONG WITH
THEM, AND THEY COULD PROACTIVELY
TAKE STEPS TO HOW THEY'RE
FEELING SO. WOMEN IN THIS
COUNTRY WHO DO NOT PAY INTO A
NATIONAL INSURANCE FUND OR DO
NOT PAY ENOUGH TO A NATIONAL
INSURANCE FUND DO NOT QUALIFY
FOR THE FULL ESTATE PENSION WHEN
THEY RETIRE, OR WHEN THEY'RE
ELIGIBLE FOR RETIREMENT PAY. SO
WHAT YOU FIND, THEN IS WHEN THEY
DO RETIRE. THEY COME BACK TO THE
GOVERNMENT FOR A TOP UP BENEFIT,
WHICH WE CALL PENSION CREDIT TO
TAKE THEM JUST UP TO THE MINIMUM
ACCEPTABLE LIVING ALLOWANCE,
LIVING AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT YOU
CAN LIVE ON. SO WHAT WE KNOW IS
THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS
WASTED IN THIS COUNTRY.
MISDIAGNOSIS. MIS PRESCRIBING
ANTIDEPRESSANTS WHEN THE WOMAN
DOESN'T NEED THEM, AND HOW MUCH
MONEY IS COSTING US TO KEEP
WOMEN OUT OF WORK BECAUSE WE'RE
NOT PROACTIVELY TRYING TO KEEP
THEM IN WORK IS ABSOLUTELY
PHENOMENAL. THERE ARE
APPROXIMATELY 14 TO 15
MENOPAUSAL WOMEN IN THE UNITED
KINGDOM AND ONLY 1414 PER CENT
OR ACTUALLY DIAGNOSED AND BEING
TREATED FOR THE MENOPAUSE, WHICH
IS ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDING, AND
THAT'S GOING TO BE A MUCH, MUCH
BIGGER FINGER. AH FIGURE ACROSS
THE POND. I'M ACTUALLY IN NEW
YORK NEXT WEEK, AND I'M GIVING A
TALK ON MENOPAUSE DURING THE U
N WOMEN'S CSW CONFERENCE IN NEW
YORK ON THE 12 OF MARCH, AND I'D
BE INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT KIND
OF FEEDBACK I GET THERE FROM
ORGANIZATION. I HAVE MENTIONED
THIS. I WAS IN THE WHITE HOUSE
LAST YEAR, AND I SPOKE TO
BIDEN'S ADVISERS ABOUT THIS. IT
SEEMED TO BE SOMETHING THEY
STARTED SHOW INTEREST IN. BUT
GENUINELY I TRULY BELIEVE THAT
AMERICA IS LOSING SO GOOD WOMEN.
UM BECAUSE THE MENOPAUSE IS
GOING UNTREATED AND UNRECOGNIZED
, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE
HAVE TO STOP GLOBALLY. WE HAVE
TO MAKE THIS BETTER. THANK YOU
SO MUCH, AND YOU MUST HAVE HAD
AN IMPACT. BECAUSE AS YOU MAY
HAVE SEEN, DR JILL BIDEN DID
ACTUALLY LAUNCH A INITIATIVE TO
DO MORE RESEARCH INTO MENOPAUSE.
SO WE ARE SEEING CHANGES COME
OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE, SO I'LL
I'LL CREDIT YOU WITH SOME OF
THAT ADVOCACY. UM THANK YOU FOR
THAT. I THINK YOU HIGHLIGHTED A
LOT OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING OVER
HERE AND IT REALLY IS
INCREDIBLE. THE WAY YOU HAVE
PUSHED THE U Kò TO LEAD THE
WORLD TRULY IN THIS EFFORT FOR
EVERY WOMAN, UM, WHO EXPERIENCES
IT, WHICH IS EVERY WOMAN WHO
LIVES LONG ENOUGH. UM DID YOU
WANT? UM TELL ME ABOUT OUR CURRY
IS GONNA ASK QUESTION FIRST.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR
PRESENTATION. AND UM, I'M
SITTING HERE WHEN YOU HIT A
COUPLE OF WORDS THAT REALLY GOT
MY HAIR UP ON THE BACK OF MY
NECK. WAS I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH
FIBROMYALGIA YEARS AGO, AND I
WENT TO A BIG SEMINAR AND
THERE'S PROBABLY ABOUT 100 AND
20 PEOPLE IN THE SEMINAR TALKING
ABOUT FIBROMYALGIA, AND THEY
KINDA WENT THROUGH THE SYMPTOMS
AND THEN THEY GOT TO THE POINT
JUST BEFORE LUNCH. UH THAT IS,
THEY SAID, IT REALLY IS ABOUT
DEPRESSION. AND THE LIGHT WENT
ON. AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, I'D
HAD A FAMILY LOSS AND WHATEVER,
BUT IN RETROSPECT, I THINK IT
WAS, UM, THE BEGINNING OF GOING
THROUGH MENOPAUSE. UM BUT THE
CRAZY PART WAS, IS THAT AFTER
LUNCH, NOT PROBABLY THREE
QUARTERS OF THE PEOPLE LEFT
BECAUSE THEY DON'T DIDN'T WANNA
HEAR THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE
DEPRESSION. AND IT WAS REALLY A
SHAME. SO ANYWAY, I JUST WANTED
TO, UH, COMMENT THAT, UH, WE
WERE JUST TALKING HERE. WE LIKE
YOUR IDEA OF THE BOOKMARK. IT'S
A WONDERFUL THING, A TOOL TO
HAND OUT TO SO MANY WOMEN AS WE
GO UP AND DOWN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA AND TALKING ABOUT
DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT THIS IS
REALLY, UM, EYE OPENING AND
THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. I'M
HAPPY TO SEND YOU SOME SO YOU
CAN ACTUALLY LOOK AT AND I'M
TAKING SOME TO NEW YORK NEXT
WEEK. SO IF ANYBODY'S IN NEW
YORK NEXT WEEK FEEL FREE TO FIND
ME, AND I'M HAPPY TO GIVE YOU
SOME, BUT YOU TALKED ABOUT
DEPRESSION THERE AND LONG STORY
SHORT BUT IN 1989. I LOST MY SON
IN A ROAD ACCIDENT. HE WAS EIGHT
AND MY WAY OF COPING WITH THAT
WAS TO NOT ALLOW MYSELF TIME TO
STOP AND THINK SO, FOR VERY MANY
YEARS I ENDED UP GOING TO
UNIVER. I WAS A DINNER LADY. I
ENDED UP GOING TO UNIVERSITY AND
FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS, I JUST
PUSH, PUSH, PUSH, PUSH AND PUSH
MYSELF SO I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO
STOP AND THINK IN 2010. I BLED
FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS. NON STOP.
IT WAS ABSOLUTELY HORRENDOUS AND
WHEN I EVENTUALLY PRESENTED AT
HOSPITAL I WAS SO ANEMIC THAT
THEY COULDN'T EVEN DO ANY
INVESTIGATIONS. THEY HAD TO GIVE
ME OVER 48 HOURS TO GIVE ME I
DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PINTS OF
BLOOD AND IRON AND AT THE END OF
THAT THEY DID AN INVESTIGATION
OF THE OPERATION AND I HAD
MASSIVE FIBROIDS, WHICH I HAD
REMOVED WHEN I GOT BACK HOME
AFTER THAT OPERATION. FOR SIX
MONTHS, I SPIRALED INTO A REALLY
DEEP DEPRESSION AND I ENDED UP
ON ANTIDEPRESSANTS. I NEVER TOLD
MY DOCTOR THAT MY KNEES WERE
ACHING THAT MY, THE HEELS OF MY
HAND WERE HURTING THAT MY HAIR
WAS THINNING THAT MY NAILS WERE
BRITTLE THAT I ITCHY SKIN THAT I
HAD DRESSED AS LEGS THAT MY EYES
WERE WATERY THAT I HAD HEADACHES
. I NEVER TOLD MY DOCTOR ANY OF
THIS. ALL I SAID WAS BECAUSE I
LOST MARTIN AND I NEVER GIVE
MYSELF TIME TO GRIEVE. I'M NOW
HAVING A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, AND
THAT'S HOW I WAS. AND IT WAS
ONLY TALKING TO OTHER WOMEN WHEN
I THOUGHT I HAD MENTAL HEALTH
ISSUES. I THOUGHT THAT I REALLY
DID HAVE A DEEP DEPRESSION THAT
CAME OVER ME LIKE A BLACK DOG
EVERY NOW AND THEN. BUT WHEN I
SPOKE TO THEM ABOUT MY KNEES AND
MY TIREDNESS AND MY EXHAUSTION
AND MY LACK OF LUST FOR LIFE,
THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED I WAS
MENOPAUSAL BECAUSE I WAS TALKING
TO WOMEN WHO WERE FEELING
EXACTLY THE SAME AS ME. BUT I'VE
GONE EIGHT YEARS ON ANT.
THINKING I HAD MENTAL HEALTH
PROBLEMS. AND WHEN I'VE SAID
THIS IN THIS COUNTRY I MADE A
STATEMENT THAT I HONESTLY
THOUGHT THERE WERE MORE WOMEN IN
THIS COUNTRY WHO WERE BEING
PRESCRIBED ANTIDEPRESSANTS THAN
THEY WERE BEING PRESCRIBED TO
HRT AND A DOCTOR CHALLENGED ME
AND SAID HE WAS GOING TO GO BACK
AND LOOK AT HIS HIS CLIENTS AND
HIS PATIENTS AND HE CAME BACK
WITH A SMALL SAMPLE AND SAID HE
DISCOVERED THAT OF ALL THE WOMEN
1000 WOMEN WHO PRESENTED WITH
THE SAME AGE GROUP THE SAME
SYMPTOMS 82% WERE ON
ANTIDEPRESSANTS. EIGHT PER CENT
WERE ON HRT. HE WENT OFF AND DID
A MUCH, MUCH BIGGER STUDY, WHICH
WE'RE GOING TO LAUNCH AT THE END
OF APRIL IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
AND EVERYTHING I SAID ABOUT THE
ETHNIC MINORITY DISPARITY THE
ECONOMIC DISPARITIES IN LOW
INCOME COMMUNITIES. HE SAYS. I'M
PERFECTLY RIGHT. I KNEW I'M
RIGHT. I WOULDN'T HAVE SAID IT
IF I DIDN'T THINK I WAS RIGHT.
I'M A WOMAN. WE'RE ALL RIGHT.
BUT APART FROM THAT THIS IS
HUGE, HUGE. HUGE. DISCRIMINATION
ISSUES HERE AGAINST WOMEN AND
THIS WILL BE THE DISCRIMINATORY
WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION ISSUE
OF THE FUTURE IF WE DON'T TACKLE
IT NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. UM I COULDN'T AGREE MORE.
AND YOU KNOW, I'M 45. AND I'M AT
THAT POINT WHERE I'M LEARNING
EVERYTHING. I'M CAN ABOUT
MENOPAUSE FROM MY PEERS, NOT MY
GENERAL PRACTITIONER, BECAUSE
THAT'S WHERE AND THAT SHOULDN'T
BE. HOW IT IS, AND I DID FINALLY
FIND A DOCTOR WHO HAS BEEN
TRAINED IN THIS, BUT YOU HAVE TO
SEARCH RIGHT BECAUSE IT ISN'T
EVERY DOCTOR. SO YOUR WORK IS SO
IMPORTANT. UM I WANTED TO ASK
YOU A COUPLE QUESTIONS. FIRST OF
ALL, I KNOW THAT THE PARLIAMENT
IS MINORITY WOMEN IN THE U Kò
LIKE HERE. YOU'RE NOT YET AT
PARITY, ALTHOUGH YOU'RE NOT YET
A 50% I LOOKED AT YOUR PARTY IS
BUT OVERALL, IT IS NOT YET 51%
AS IT SHOULD BE, UM, SO A LITTLE
BIT CURIOUS. THE RECEPTION YOU
GOT AS YOU TOOK THIS ISSUE ON IN
PARLIAMENT AND YOU KNOW YOUR
MALE COLLEAGUES AND HOW THEY.
RECEIVED IT. THEY WERE AWESOME.
THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.
WE HAD THERE WAS ONE GOVERNMENT.
HE WAS HE ENDED UP AS A
GOVERNMENT MINISTER. HE'S NÓ
LONGER. A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
ACTUALLY SPOKE ABOUT HIS MOTHER
BEING TAKEN AWAY TO PSYCHIATRIC
UNIT WHEN HE WAS A TEENAGER WITH
UNBELIEVING THAT SHE HAD A
SERIOUS MENTAL ISSUE TO DISCOVER
LATER THAT SHE WAS MENOPAUSAL,
WHICH GOT ME TO THINKING ABOUT
HOW MANY WOMEN WE ACTUALLY PUT
IN ASYLUMS IN THIS COUNTRY YEARS
AGO IN THE VICTORIAN AGES,
BECAUSE IT YOU KNOW HYSTERIA
BEING THE WOMB. UM BUT OTHER
THAN THAT, THERE WERE SOME. SOME
OF MY MALE COLLEAGUES TALKED
ABOUT THEIR WIVES. SOME TALKED
ABOUT THEIR MOTHER. SOME TALKED
ABOUT THEIR CONSTITUENTS, BUT
MEN HAVE BEEN AS INTERESTED AS
WOMEN. AND WHEN I DO TALK LIKE
THIS IN WORKPLACES, IT'S ALWAYS
THE MEN THAT ASK THE BEST
QUESTIONS BECAUSE THEY ARE
EITHER STRUGGLING IN THEIR OWN
RELATIONSHIP, AND THEY DON'T
UNDERSTAND WHY THEIR WIFE IS
FEELING AS ILL AS SHE IS, AND
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO TO
HELP HER OR THEY MANAGING WOMEN
AND THEY WANT TO DO THEIR BEST
FOR THEM, AND THEY WANT TO SHOW
THEM THAT THEY CARE ABOUT THEM.
AND QUITE HONESTLY. FRIENDS OF
MINE WHO HAVE MY CELL NUMBER. I
HAVE LOST COUNT OF THE NUMBER OF
MEN WHO WERE FOR ME AND ASKED,
WOULD I HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH
THEIR WIFE? OR COULD I ADVISE
THEM WHERE TO GO? BECAUSE THEY
WERE REALLY WORRIED TO PUT THEIR
PARTNERS SO I FIND MEN TO BE
VERY RECEPTIVE TO THIS. THANK
YOU. IT'S INTERESTING. YOU SAY
THAT BECAUSE I FOUND THAT WE
WERE TAUGHT AS WOMEN THAT THIS
IS JUST SOMETHING WE SUFFER
THROUGH AND WE HAVE ALL OF THIS
MESSAGING THAT IS PUT IN OUR
HEAD THAT IN FACT, OUR MALE
COLLEAGUES DON'T HAVE THEY WERE
NOT TRAINED TO SUFFER THROUGH
MOMENTS LIKE THIS. AND SO IN
SOME WAYS, I ACTUALLY THINK THAT
THERE IS A RECEPTIVITY THERE
THAT, UM FROM NOT GETTING THAT
UH, MESSAGE. THEIR WHOLE LIFE
HELPS THEM BE GOOD PARTNERS. SO
I APPRECIATE HEARING THAT, UM, I
WANTED TO TOUCH ON AS PART OF
YOUR EFFORTS. YOU DID AN INQUIRY
INTO MENOPAUSE IN THE WORKPLACE.
UM AN OFFICIAL INQUIRY. COULD
YOU DISCUSS SORT OF THAT EFFORT
AND ITS FINDINGS AND WHERE IT
IS? WE FOUND THAT NOT JUST US.
WE'VE DONE ONE BUT ALSO THE FOUR
SOCIETY DONE ONE AND WE FOUND
ASTOUNDING. THERE WERE HUGE
NUMBERS OF WOMEN. I MEAN, FOR
EXAMPLE, I'VE GONE TO COMPANIES
AND I'VE SAID HAVE YOU GOT A
MENOPAUSE POLICY AND THEY'LL SAY
TO ME, OH, YES, IT'S BRILLIANT,
AND THEY'LL SHOW ME AN APP AND
IT WILL SAY, LOOK, WE DO THIS.
WE DO THAT WE DO THIS. WE DO
THAT. I'LL GO ON TO THE SHOP
FLOOR AND I'LL SAY TO THE GIRLS
ON THE TELLS OR THE GIRLS
PACKING THE SHELVES OR IN THE
FREEZER. HOW'S THE MENOPAUSE
POLICY WORKING FOR YOU? THEY'LL
SAY, I DID KNOW WE HAD ONE UM
THE UNIONS IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE
DONE A LOT OF WORK AROUND
TOOLKITS TO TAKE INTO WORKPLACES
TO GET PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THE
SUBJECT, SO IT'S GETTING BETTER.
IT'S GETTING BETTER IN THE
PRIVATE SECTOR BECAUSE WHAT WE
FOUND WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS
THEY REALIZE THAT THEY CANNOT
AFFORD TO REPLACE THESE VALUABLE
, LOYAL, KNOWLEDGEABLE WOMEN,
BUT WE FOUND SOME REALLY
ASTOUNDING. AH! FACTS IN THE
BEGINNING WHERE NÓ SO MANY
COMPANIES HAD NOTHING REGARDING
THE MENOPAUSE, THERE WAS NÓ
ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT THE
MENOPAUSE WAS SOMETHING THAT
THEY SHOULD BE LOOKING LOOKING
AT AS AN ISSUE THAT WAS
PREVENTING WOMEN STAYING IN WORK
. I SAID EARLIER, SO MANY WOMEN
WOULD NOT TAKE PROMOTION. SINCE
WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THAT
IT'S BECOME AN ISSUE NOW THAT
PEOPLE ARE DESPERATELY TRYING TO
PLAY CATCH UP AND PROVIDE
RESOURCES AND SUPPORT. THE UH
UH, THE EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS
COMMITTEE. ACTUALLY I THINK IT
WAS LAST SHOT FOR THREE WEEKS
AGO ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WERE NOW
SAYING THAT THERE WAS A LEGAL
OBLIGATION FOR EMPLOYERS TO
PROVIDE SUPPORT TO WOMEN IN THE
WORKPLACE FOR THEY USED THE WORD
THAT IT SHOULD BE. CLASS AS A
DISABILITY. IT'S NOT A
DISABILITY. IT IS A TIME IN LIFE
. BUT MY WAY OF PROMOTING THAT
IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT
AS LONG AS PEOPLE ARE TALKING
ABOUT IT AND BEING PROACTIVE IN
PROVIDING SOME KIND OF SUPPORT
AND HELP, THEN I'LL TAKE THE
HRC'S RECOMMENDATION, PROVIDED
WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION AROUND
THE TERMINOLOGY OF IT BEING A
DISABILITY, BUT THAT IS AS A
RESULT OF SO MANY WOMEN
RESPONDING. SAYING THAT THEY ARE
NOT SUPPORTED. THEY HAVE NOT HAD
ANY COMMUNICATIONS WITH ANYONE
IN THEIR WORKPLACE, AND IT'S SO
SIMPLE. I LIKE TO SEE MENOPAUSE
AMBASSADORS IN WORKPLACE SO THAT
IS ONE POINT TO CONTACT. SO IF A
WOMAN IS FEELING THE POTENTIALLY
, SHE NEEDS A LITTLE EXTRA
SUPPORT SHE NEEDS JUST GO TO ONE
PERSON, AND THAT PERSON DOES THE
ADVOCACY FOR HER. I ALWAYS THINK
ABOUT IMAGINE YOU'RE A SCHOOL
TEACHER, AND YOU'RE TEACHING A
CLASS OF 16 YEAR OLD BOYS AND
YOU'RE HEMORRHAGING. YOU KNOW
YOU YOU DON'T WANNA ACTUALLY
HAVE TO WRITE AN ESSAY
EXPLAINING WHY YOU'VE RUN OUT OF
THE CLASSROOM AND YOU'VE HAD TO
GO TO CHANGE THAT WOMAN SHOULD
THERE SHOULD BE SOME SYSTEM TO
SUPPORT. SO IF SHE GETS INTO
THAT SITUATION, SOMEBODY CAN RE
RELIEVER AND OFF SHE GOES, IF
YOU IF YOU WERE FEELING THAT YOU
WANT TO SIT IN A CERTAIN PLACE
COS IT IS THE VENTILATION IS
BETTER FOR YOU. YOU MORE
COMFORTABLE OR WHAT YOU WEAR IS
PROHIBITORY. SO YOU'D LIKE TO
WEAR SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THESE
ARE REALLY SIMPLE THINGS THAT
MOST EMPLOYERS WOULD SEE
REASONABLE BUT IT COULD HELP
THEM TO KEEP THEIR WORKFORCE
HAPPY. IF A WOMAN HASN'T SLEPT
ALL NIGHT. MAYBE IT'S POSSIBLE
FOR HER TO WORK AT HOME. DON'T
FORGET IF A WOMAN'S GOT A
PARTNER THEN THE HUSBAND HASN'T
SLEPT ALL NIGHT, EITHER. SO WE
NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE MEN IN
ALL THIS, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THEY
ARE INVOLVED. BUT WHAT WE FOUND
IS THAT MOST PEOPLE WANTED A
PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN THAT
EMPLOYERS WOMEN MEDICAL
PROFESSIONS SOCIETY STARTED
TALKING ABOUT THE MENOPAUSE AS A
NÓ. BOO. UM SUBJECT. I MEAN, I
ALWAYS USE THE WORDS VAGINAL
DRYNESS TO OPEN THE SENTENCE.
AND ONCE YOU'VE SAID THAT THE
INITIAL SHOCK OF OH MY GOD. THEN
ALL OF A SUDDEN EVERYBODY'S
TALKING ABOUT VAGINA DRYNESS,
BUT IT WORKS AND IT'S HELPING
WOMEN TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO
COMMUNICATE BETTER WITH THEIR
EMPLOYERS. I LOVE THAT I HAVE TO
SAY IN OUR FIRST MENOPAUSE
HEARING, I'VE NEVER HEARD
VAGINAL DRYNESS, SAID MORE IN A
HEARING ROOM THAN THAT DAY, SO I
APPRECIATE THAT COMMENT. UM AND
IT IS IMPORTANT. WE TALK ABOUT
ALL OF THE 40 PLUS SYMPTOMS. SO
YOU TOUCHED ON SOMETHING I JUST
WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON WHICH I
THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT. IN
THIS CONVERSATION. WE DID REACH
OUT TO CALIFORNIA'S LABOR
LEADERS TO TELL THEM THAT WE
WANTED THEM TO BE OUR PARTNERS
IN THIS WORK AROUND THIS HUGE
GENDER EQUITY ISSUE, AND I KNOW
THAT LABOR UNIONS WERE A BIG
PART OF YOUR EFFORT. CAN YOU
TALK ABOUT THAT PARTNERSHIP?
WELL I THINK THAT, UM IT IT'S
LIKE ANYTHING ELSE WHEN WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT WORKPLACE
EQUALITY, THEN YOU AND I AM A
LABOR POLITICIAN. SO A AS A
LABOR POLITICIAN, I HAVE VERY
CLOSE LINKS WITH THE TRADE UNION
, SO I ENCOURAGED A LOT OF THEM
TO ACTUALLY THINK ABOUT BEING
MORE PROACTIVE. AND THEY
RESPONDED FANTASTICALLY. SO ALL
THE BIG UNIONS IN THIS COUNTRY
HAVE NOW COME UP WITH EITHER A
TOOLKIT OR THEY RUN SESSIONS OR
THEY PROVIDE SUPPORT WITHIN
WORKPLACES THAT ALLOW WOMEN TO
FEEL. AND THEY WILL ACT AS THE
GO BETWEEN BETWEEN THE WOMAN AND
THE EMPLOYER. IF NEED BE. I'VE
SPOKEN SO MANY UNION CONFERENCES
AND SPOKE TO SO MANY NATIONAL
EXECUTIVES OF UNIONS ABOUT THIS
ISSUE, AND THEY HAVE BECOME
REALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN DRIVING
FORWARD THE MENOPAUSE AGENDA.
SOME PLACES HAVE MANAGED TO GET
IT INTO WOMEN'S CONTRACTS INTO
WORKPLACE CONTRACTS. SOME PLACES
HAVE JUST BEEN PROACTIVE IN
GETTING MENOPAUSE SUPPORT GROUPS
WITHIN THE BUSINESS. BUT GEN.
GENERALLY THE UNIONS HAVE BEEN
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT IN THIS
COUNTRY AT PICKING UP THAT
CHALLENGE IF YOU LIKE BECAUSE
THEY COULD GET INTO FAR MORE
WORKPLACES AS A UNIT I CAN AS AN
INDIVIDUAL. I APPRECIATE THAT. I
WAS TALKING TO ONE OF OUR LABOR
LEADERS WHEN WE WERE TALKING
ABOUT HOW WE'VE HAD TROUBLE WITH
THE HEAT STANDARDS IN OUR
WAREHOUSES. AND WHAT HAPPENS TO
A WOMAN WHO IS MENOPAUSAL,
HAVING HOT FLASHES IN THESE
WAREHOUSES WHERE THEY'RE NOT
PROPERLY PROTECTED FROM BEING
FROM OVERHEATING IN THE FIRST
PLACE, RIGHT, SO THESE ISSUES
OVERLAP IN REALLY IMPORTANT WAYS
. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT I
I'VE USED HERE A LOT IS
SOMETHING CALLED THE MEOW VEST,
SO IT'S UM IT'S LIKE A LIKE A
LIKE A LYCRA MATERIAL. BUT IN
IT, THERE ARE PADS AND IT'S RUN
OFF BATTERIES AND I ENCOURAGE
MALE MEMBERS OF STAFF OR MALE
MANAGERS IN THIS COUNTRY ARE
MANAGED TO GET A LOT OF SENIOR
POLICE OFFICERS IN PARLIAMENT. A
LOT OF SENIOR PARLIAMENTARIANS
TO ACTUALLY TRY ON THIS HEAT
VEST TO LEAVE IT HEAT UP TO ITS
MAXIMUM, AND FOR THEM TO
EXPERIENCE JUST HOW
UNCOMFORTABLE AND DEBILITATING
AND DISTRACTING HAVING A HAVING
A HOT FLUSHES AND THEY WERE
QUITE ASTOUNDED BY HOW
DISTRACTED YOU GET WHEN YOU'VE
GOT ONE OF THESE ON AND IT KEEPS
GETTING HOTTER AND HOTTER AND
HOTTER AND HOTTER, AND THAT'S
BEEN REALLY A REAL POWERFUL TOOL
THAT I'VE TAKEN. TO A LOT OF
PLACES, AND THE POLICE HAVE BEEN
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT AT USING
THAT AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT IT'S LIKE FOR FEMALE
OFFICERS WHO HAVE TO WEAR STAB
VESTS ON TOP OF THEIR UNIFORM.
IT'S EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE. I
LOVE THAT. OK, WELL, I'M NOT
GONNA BE IN NEW YORK NEXT WEEK,
SADLY, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE
YOUR ADVOCACY AND, UM I DO WANNA
SEE YOUR UM BOOKMARK AND ANY
INFORMATION YOU HAVE, AND
HOPEFULLY WE CAN PARTNER WITH
YOU TO BRING THE WORK YOU'VE
DONE SO INCREDIBLY, UM, HERE TO
THE U S¼, BECAUSE I THINK YOU
HAVE REALLY CHANGED THE
CONVERSATION IN POWERFUL WAYS.
AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ADVOCACY. NICE TO MEET YOU.
YOU'RE GETTING AN APPLAUSE UP
HERE. I'M GONNA GO NOW, IF
THAT'S OK. YES, YES. NÓ. WE WILL
BE IN TOUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOU.
THANK YOU. PLEASURE. THANK YOU
FOR HAVING ME. THANK YOU, UM SO
WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR SECOND
PANEL, MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS AND
THE WORKPLACE. UM THIS WILL TALK
ABOUT MENOPAUSE IMPACTS FROM A
CLINICAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE.
WE HAVE FOUR PRACTITIONERS ON
THIS PANEL THOUGHT LEADERS WHO
HAVE INSIGHT INTO MANY OF THE
WAYS THE MENOPAUSE AFFECTS OUR
LIVES, TOO WILL BE HERE IN
PERSON AND TWO WILL BE REMOTE
ONLINE. UM SO WE HAVE DOCTOR
ELLEN GOLD, A PROFESSOR OF
EPIDEMIOLOGY AT U èC. DAVIS
HEALTH IS HERE, DOCTOR ARUN
CARLA MANA, A PROFESSOR OF
MEDICINE AT U, èC L, A HEALTH.
UM WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE LONG
TERM IMPACTS OF MENOPAUSE.
AMONGST OTHER THINGS. MELINDA
MORIMOTO, THE SENIOR BENEFITS
DIRECTOR AT GENENTECH TO TALK
ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE
WORKPLACE, AND THEN Ó. A BURN.
BERNIE SCOTT, WHO'S A THOUGHT
LEADER, ADVOCATE AND CREATOR OF
THE BLACK GIRLS GUIDE TO
SURVIVING MENOPAUSE TO TALK
ABOUT THE IMPACT ON, UM DIVERSE
COMMUNITIES. SO THANK YOU ALL
FOR BEING HERE, SO WE WILL START
WITH DOCTOR CARLA MANGALA TO
DESCRIBE YOUR RESEARCH ON THE
LONG TERM IMPACTS OF MENOPAUSE.
I THINK THERE I SEE A SLIDE SHOW
COMING, SO I THINK WE'RE GETTING
READY. OK, PERFECT. WE HEAR YOU.
PERFECT PERFECT. OK SO, UM, I AM
ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATORS OF THE STUDY OF
WOMEN'S HEALTH ACROSS THE NATION
. UH, DOCTOR, ELLEN GOLD IS ALSO
HERE. WHO'S ONE OF ONE OF THE
OTHER PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS?
WE HAVE TWO OF US FROM
CALIFORNIA. THERE ARE FIVE
OTHERS FROM ACROSS THE NATION,
AND THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY WAS
TO UNDERSTAND THE BIOLOGICAL,
PHYSIOLOGICAL, SOCIAL,
PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OVERALL, UM,
IMPACT OF THE MENOPAUSE ON WOMEN
AND THEIR HEALTH LONG BOTH
DURING THE TRANSITION TO
MENOPAUSE AND LONG TERM, SO I'LL
BE TALKING ABOUT THE LONG-TERM
IMPACT STRATEGY. WILL I THINK,
BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS
DURING THE TRANSITION? UM AS YOU
SEE IN THE SLIDE IF YOU'RE ABLE
TO SEE IT THAT THIS WAS A MULTI
ETHNIC COHORT STUDY. UH, THE
WOMEN WERE, UM, RECRUITED ACROSS
THE NATION. UM. WHEN THEY WERE
BETWEEN 42 AND 52 YEARS OF AGE
AND STILL HAD NOT GONE THROUGH
THE MENOPAUSE BUT MAY HAVE BEEN
BEGINNING TO GO, UH, TO GO TO
THAT TRANSITION. WE WE'VE BEEN
FOLLOWING THEM SINCE 1995 AND WE
JUST FINISHED THE 17TH FOLLOW UP
VISIT. THE VISITS HAVE BEEN
BETWEEN 12 AND 18 MONTHS APART.
THE MOST RECENT ONE WAS DELAYED
BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC. BUT
DESPITE THAT THE PARTICIPANTS
ACROSS THE NATION HAVE BEEN VERY
FORTHCOMING WITH THEIR TIME AND
THEY COME AND SPEND A DAY OR TWO
WITH US, UM TO, UH, AND TO
DESCRIBE WHAT THEY'RE GOING
THROUGH AND LET US MEASURE UM
THINGS IN THEIR BLOOD. LOOK AT
THEIR HEART ECHOCARDIOGRAM TO
LOOK AT THE BONE DENSITY AND
THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WHAT I'M
GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT IS
WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM THIS
STUDY. THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
ALL RIGHT. SO, UM. THE STUDY
LOVE AT MULTIPLE DIFFERENT
THINGS, COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING
BONE PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS,
LIFESTYLE CHANGES AND MEASURED
OVARIAN FUNCTION IN TERMS OF
ESTROGEN, PROGESTERONE AND OTHER
HORMONES, CARDIOVASCULAR RISK
RISK FACTORS CARDIOVASCULAR
EVENTS, THE SYMPTOMS OF THE
MENOPAUSE TRANSITION, ITS
EFFECTS ON SLEEP AND ITS EFFECTS
ON PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING JUST TO
NAME A FEW, UH, NEXT SLIDE. UM
SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST, UM,
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE STUDY WAS
TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE TRANSITION
TO MENOPAUSE DOES NOT HAPPEN
LIKE THIS IN A SNAP. IT'S A LONG
PROCESS. IN FACT, IT'S A
MULTIYEAR PROCESS, AND WE NOW
HAVE, UH, DEFINITIONS OF STAGES
OF THE TRANSITION. AND SWANN THE
STUDY, UH, STUDY, WOMEN OF THE
ACROSS THE NATION CALLED SWAN
HAS BEEN CRITICAL IN
UNDERSTANDING AND, UH,
UNDERSTANDING THAT THESE
DIFFERENT STAGES AND IN DEFINING
THESE CHANGES, SO, AS YOU SEE
LISTED HERE EARLY PERIMENOPAUSE,
THE FIRST PART OF THE TRANSITION
IS WHEN THE MENSTRUAL CYCLES
BECOME LESS PREDICTABLE AND WHEN
THE GAPS BETWEEN CYCLES EXCEED
THREE MONTHS, THEN YOU'RE IN, UM
LATE PERIMENOPAUSE, AND ONCE
THEY EXCEED 12 MONTHS, YOU'RE
POST MENOPAUSE. NEXT LINE. UM,
SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
WHAT'S HAPPENS DURING THE
MENOPAUSE TRANSITION. AS I SAID,
DOCTOR, GOH WILL BE TALKING MORE
ABOUT IT. UM THE ONE OF ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT WE NOTICE WHEN
YOU LOOKED AT THINGS LIKE
COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING BECAUSE A
LOT OF WOMEN COMPLAIN ABOUT
BRAIN FOG DURING THIS TRANSITION
, AND WE NOTICED THAT YES, THERE
WAS A GREATER UH, A SLIGHTLY
GREATER DIFFICULTY REMEMBERING
THINGS IN WOMEN WHO ARE GOING TO
THE TRANSITION ON AVERAGE, UH,
AND IT WAS TIED TO A SLEEP
CHANGES. SO FOR INSTANCE,
IRREGULARITY IN SLEEP, AS
MEASURED BY AN AGRA WAS
ASSOCIATED WITH WORSE SCORES ON
MEMORY. AND UH, AND YOUR SLEEP
CYCLE BEING OFF. SO THE MIDDLE
OF YOUR SLEEP BEING NOT BETWEEN
TWO AND 4 A.M. BUT BEING EITHER,
UH MUCH EARLIER OR LATER, UM,
MEANT THAT, UH WHAT WHAT THAT
WAS ASSOCIATED WITH WAS SLIGHT
REDUCTION IN THE SPEED WITH
WHICH YOU THINK SO MENTAL
PROCESSING GOT A BIT SLOWER.
FORTUNATELY, THESE CHANGES WERE
TEMPORARY. UH, NEXT LINE. AND
UM, ONCE WOMEN REACHED POST
MENOPAUSE THESE TRANSIENT
SYMPTOMS DURING THE MENOPAUSE
TRANSITION SEEMS TO GO AWAY AND
THEN ALL WE BEGIN TO SEE IS AGE
RELATED DECLINES HAPPENING IN
EVERYBODY. WE ARE NOW CURRENTLY
IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT
WHETHER OR NOT WOMEN WHO HAVE
MORE, UH, SYMPTOMS OF THE
MENOPAUSE IN TERMS OF NIGHT
SWEATS AND HOT FLASHES, ET
CETERA. IF WOMEN LIKE THAT ARE
AFFECTED MORE OR NOT, AND THOSE,
UH, THOSE ANALYSIS ARE STILL
ONGOING. UH, THE, UH, NOT
SURPRISINGLY, NOT SLEEPING WELL
DURING THIS TRANSITION PERIOD
INTO THE INTO THE INTO THE
MENOPAUSE IS ASSOCIATED ALSO
WITH, UM MORE DEPRESSION AND
MORE ANXIETY AGAIN, THE SAME TWO
THINGS IRREGULARITY IN SLEEP AND
YOUR SLEEP. SLEEP MID POINT
BEING OUTSIDE THE MORE NORMAL 2
TO 4 A.M. RANGE MEANT YOU HAD
MORE DEPRESSION AND MORE
ANXIETY. DURING THAT PERIOD.
NEXT LINE. YOU KNOW, LET'S TALK
ABOUT WHAT THIS MIGHT MEAN LONG
TERM. SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST
THINGS THAT HAPPENS DURING THE
MENOPAUSE TRANSITION, AND I SAY,
BECAUSE BECAUSE I'M A
GERIATRICIAN, AND I SEE A LOT OF
THE CONSEQUENCES LATER IN LIFE,
UH, IN A MESS IF YOU'RE AWARE OF
THE FACT THAT THERE IS MORE
OSTEOPOROSIS IN WOMEN THAN IN
MEN, AND THIS HAS A LOT TO DO
WITH THE FACT THAT DURING THIS
MENOPAUSE TRANSITION, THERE IS A
RAPID LOSS OF BONE BONE MASS,
WHICH, IN FACT STARTS A COUPLE
OF YEARS BEFORE THE LAST MENS.
PERIOD AND THE RATE OF BONE MASS
LOSS IS ABOUT 2 2.5% PER YEAR
INITIALLY, AND IT SLOWS DOWN IN
POST MENOPAUSE TO 1% PER YEAR,
BUT THE GREATEST RATE OF LOSS
HAPPENS DURING THAT TRANSITION,
AND THIS IS IN MANY WAYS
RESPONSIBLE FOR OSTEOPOROSIS AND
, UH, FRACTURES WITH A SMALL
FALL, UH AS WOMEN GET OLDER AND
MORE FRAIL. UM. AND SO CURRENT
RESEARCH IS NOW FOCUSING ON WHAT
ONE CAN DO TO REDUCE THAT RATE
OF LOSS DURING THIS DURING THIS
TRANSITION PERIOD. NEXT LINE.
ARE CONCURRENTLY WITH CHANGES IN
BONE MASS. THERE ARE ALSO
CHANGES IN MUSCLE MASS AND FAT
MASS. SO UH UH WHAT THIS? THE
MAIN TAKEAWAY FROM THIS SLIDE IS
THAT FAT MASS TENDS TO GO UP AND
AGAIN, THE INCREASE IN THE FAT
MASS HAPPENS STARTS ABOUT, UM,
TWO YEARS PRIOR TO THE LAST
MENSTRUAL PERIOD. AND THEN AND
THEN IT. OH, ON AVERAGE, UM,
SLOWS DOWN AND IT KIND OF
PLATEAUS, UH, ABOUT A YEAR AFTER
THE MENOPAUSE AFTER THE LAST
MENSTRUAL PERIOD, SO IT SEEMS
FOR A LOT OF THESE THINGS,
INCLUDING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK
FACTORS LIKE BLOOD PRESSURE,
ETCETERA AND CHOLESTEROL. THERE
IS AN INCREASE IN DELETERIOUS
RISK FACTORS THAT STARTS ABOUT A
YEAR OR TWO BEFORE THE LAST
MENSTRUAL PERIOD AND CONTINUES
FOR A YEAR OR TWO AFTER THE LAST
MINSTREL PERIOD. UM, AFTER THAT,
THERE ARE USUAL AGE RELATED
CHANGES, BUT THERE'S A LITTLE
ACCELERATION IN WOMEN AROUND THE
MENOPAUSE TRANSITION IN THESE
RISK FACTORS. NEXT LINE. SO UH,
IT'S NOT JUST THAT THERE IS AN
INCREASE IN FAT MASS. IT SEEMS
TO GET REDISTRIBUTED FROM AROUND
THE HIPS TO THE WAIST. UH,
THERE'S AN IN GREATER INCREASE
IN, UM WHAT'S CALLED ANDROID FAT
, WHICH IS FAT IN THE CENTRAL
AREA IN THE TRUNK, UH, ALONG
WITH AN INCREASE IN WAIST SIZE,
THE YELLOW DOTTED LINE INCREASE
IN WAIST SIZE. AND IF YOU SEE WE
JUST LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THE
WAIST. IT GOES UP RATHER GENTLY.
UH AND IT, UM, KIND OF HIDES THE
FACT THAT THERE'S A MORE
INCREASE IN MASS, IN FACT, GOING
ON UNDERNEATH THE WAIST AGAIN,
UM, STARTING ABOUT THREE YEARS
BEFORE THE LAST MENSTRUAL PERIOD
, AND IT'S AND THEN SLOWS DOWN
ABOUT A YEAR OR SO AFTER THE
LAST MENSTRUAL PERIOD. NEXT
LINE. AND THIS IS WHAT I MEANT
ABOUT THE HIP SIZE HIP SIZE ALSO
GOES DOWN. UH SORRY GOES UP. BUT
THEN, AFTER THE MENOPAUSE
TRANSITION, THE AMOUNT OF FAT
AROUND THE HIPS GOES DOWN. SO
YOU SO IS THIS A GOOD THING OR A
BAD THING? IT'S A GOOD THING IN
TERMS OF, UM THERE BEING A TOTAL
REDUCTION IN THE AMOUNT OF FAT
OF FAT MASS. I MEAN, IT GOES
DOWN LESS BECAUSE THE IT GOES UP
A BIT LESS BECAUSE THE MASS
AROUND THE HIPS GOES DOWN. WHAT
THIS ALSO MEANS IS THAT ADDING
AROUND THE HIPS GOES DOWN, AND
AS A RESULT, CAN, UH, COMBINE
THAT WITH THE REDUCTION IN BONE
MASS AND BONE SIZE AND BONE
STRENGTH? UM, THE REDUCTION OF
FAT OR THE CUSHIONING IF YOU
WILL, UH, AROUND THE HIPS MEANS
THAT WHEN, UM, AN OLDER, FRAIL
WOMAN FALLS, SHE'S MORE LIKELY
TO BREAK HER HIP. SO THESE ARE
THE CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT HAPPENS
DURING THE TRANSITION. UH, WE'VE
BEGIN TO ACCEPT THAT THE STUDY
OF WOMEN'S HEALTH ACROSS THE
NATION IS AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY
. WE DID NOT LOOK AT
INTERVENTIONS TO TRY AND
AMELIORATE SOME OF THESE CHANGES
, BUT WE DID LOOK AT
ASSOCIATIONS WITH LIFESTYLE, SO
NEXT NEXT LINE. SO HERE? UH THIS
IS A COMPLICATED SLIDE. BUT WHAT
THIS IS TELLING US IS IF THAT,
IF WOMEN INCREASE THEIR AMOUNT
OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, DOING
THINGS LIKE SPORTS, OR JUST
EXERCISES LIKE WALKING, AND MOST
WOMEN IN THE STUDY WERE WALKING
IF THEY INCREASE THEIR PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY AND IN MIDLIFE AROUND
THE TIME OF THE MENOPAUSE
TRANSITION, THEN THE AMOUNT OF
BONE LOSS GOES DOWN, AND THERE'S
A LINEAR RELATIONSHIP, THE
GREATER THE INCREASE IN PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY. THE GREATER THE
BENEFIT YOU GET IN TERMS OF
SLOWING OF THE BONE LOSS AROUND
THE MENOPAUSE TRANSITION, SO
THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME THINGS WE
CAN DO TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF
BONE LOSS AND SO THE IMPACT ON
LATER LIFE. UH, ONE MORE SLIDE.
WE'RE DONE. OK, THIS IS UM SO
WHEN WE FIRST TALKED ABOUT THIS,
OTHERS ASKED. WELL WHAT IF I'M
ALREADY EXERCISING? WELL BEFORE
I START THE MENOPAUSE TRANSITION
? DO I HAVE TO INCREASE FURTHER?
THE A S¼ A IS NOW. SO WHAT DO WE
HAVE HERE ON THE X AXIS IS OVER
THE ENTIRE STUDY PERIOD OVER THE
LAST OF 17 VISITS THAT WE'VE
BEEN SEEING THIS AND IF YOU LOOK
AT THEIR AVERAGE AMOUNT OF
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, THE WOMEN WHO
HAD A GOOD AMOUNT OF PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY EITHER IN THE BEGINNING
OR LATER OR IT'S CONSTANTLY
THROUGHOUT. STUDY THEY THEY
ENDED UP WITH A LARGER BONE MASS
AGAIN. YOU SEE A NICE LINEAR
RELATIONSHIP, THE GREATER THE
AVERAGE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER
THIS MIDLIFE PERIOD. THE GREATER
THE BONE MASS IN THE LAST VISIT
THAT WE HAVE SEEN THIS WOMEN IN
SO THERE SEEMS TO BE A FEW
THINGS WE CAN DO. UH UH, THERE
ARE, UM, STUDIES GOING ON
LOOKING AT OTHER THINGS LIKE THE
AMOUNT OF ALTERED PROCESSED
FOODS, UH OR THE CONSUMPTION OF
PROCESSED FOODS ON SOME OF THESE
HEALTH IMPACTS AND SO ON, BUT
THAT IS STILL, UM, A WORK IN
PROGRESS. OK, THANK YOU. THANK
YOU SO MUCH NOW THAT WAS A GREAT
OVERVIEW AND I DID IN MY INITIAL
INTRODUCTIONS FAILED TO
INTRODUCE MARCIE KAREN,
PROFESSOR OF LAW AND DIRECTOR OF
LEGISLATION IN CIVIL RIGHTS
CLINIC, Dð èC DAVID A. CLARK
SCHOOL OF LAW WHO WILL SPEAK,
UM, ACTUALLY ON HER RESEARCH ON
BRINGING THOSE U Kò
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE U S¼, SO
I'M SORRY, PROFESSOR KAREN,
WE'RE GONNA GET YOU. UM BUT NEXT
, WE'RE GONNA GO TO DOCTOR GOLD,
WHO WILL GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF
WHAT THE DATA SAYS ABOUT THE
IMPACTS. UM AND SYMPTOMS OF
MENOPAUSE. TAKING THAT RESEARCH
INTO THE REAL WORLD. GO AHEAD,
DOCTOR GOLD. NOW ON. GOOD OK,
UH, THANK YOU. AND I ALSO WANT
TO THANK MY COLLEAGUE, DR KARL
LÀ, AS HE EXPLAINED SOME THINGS
THAT I CAN NOW NOT HAVE TO, UM,
SO WE ARE COLLEAGUES ON THE
STUDY OF WOMEN'S HEALTH ACROSS
THE NATION, WHICH WE ABBREVIATE
SWAN. UM AND I THINK IT'S WORTH
TAKING A MINUTE TO NOTE WHAT WAS
UNIQUE ABOUT IT WHEN WE STARTED
IT BACK IN THE MID NINETIES
BECAUSE I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU
FOUR SLIDES OF SOME OF OUR
RESULTS REGARDING SYMPTOMS FROM
SWAN AND WHAT MADE IT UNIQUE WAS
THAT IT WAS LONGITUDINAL. AND
THAT WE RECRUITED FROM FIVE
RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY, WHICH WAS DIFFERENT
FROM WHAT OTHER STUDIES HAD DONE
AND THAT WE HAVE FOLLOWED THESE
WOMEN, AS AS HE SAID. ALMOST
ANNUALLY, GATHERING INFORMATION
ON PHYSICAL MEASURES ON THEIR
LIFESTYLE AND BEHAVIORS ON THEIR
PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS ON THEIR
MEDICAL HISTORY, REPRODUCTIVE
HISTORY, ET CETERA, AND HAVE
DONE THIS GOING FORWARD. AND SO
IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE,
I'LL SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT SYMPTOMS. SO,
UM WHAT? I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT
OUR HOT FLASHES AND NIGHT SWEATS
, WHICH ARE BASICALLY THE
HALLMARK SYMPTOMS OF THE
MENOPAUSAL TRANSITION AND ONE
POINT I WANT TO MAKE RIGHT AT
THE BEGINNING, AND I'LL MAKE IT
AGAIN. IS THAT ANOTHER HALLMARK
OF THE MENOPAUSE TRANSITION IS
VARIABILITY AMONG WOMEN AND WHAT
THEY EXPERIENCE AND THIS SLIDE
SOMEWHAT DEMONSTRATES THAT SO
WHAT'S ALONG THE VERTICAL AXIS?
HERE IS THE PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN
WHO ARE REPORTING HOT FLASHES OR
NIGHT SWEATS, AND WHAT'S ALONG
THE VERTICAL AXIS IS WHERE THEY
ARE IN THE MENOPAUSAL TRANSITION
. AND DOCTOR KARLA ML DID A VERY
GOOD JOB OF EXPLAINING TO YOU
WHAT THESE DIFFERENT STAGES ARE,
IF YOU NEED TO, LIKE I CAN
REPEAT THEM, BUT I WON'T SINCE
HE DID A GREAT JOB AND THEN THIS
IS SO EACH LINE HERE IS SHOWING
WHAT WAS EXPERIENCED OR REPORTED
BY EACH OF THE FIVE RACIAL AND
ETHNIC GROUPS THAT WE STUDIED.
SO YOU CAN SEE. FIRST OF ALL, IS
THAT WOMEN WHO WERE PRE
MENOPAUSAL SO STILL HAVING
REGULAR CYCLES BETWEEN 30 40% OF
THEM WERE ALREADY REPORTING HOT
FLASHES OR NIGHT SWEATS. IF YOU
GO ON TO THE WOMEN WHO ARE
TRANSITIONING TO THE EARLY
PERIMENOPAUSE, THIS RANGE GOES
UP TO BETWEEN 30 60. BUT WHERE
YOU SEE THE MOST DRAMATIC
INCREASE IS WOMEN WHO ARE
TRANSITIONING TO THE LATE
PERIMENOPAUSE WHERE THEIR CYCLES
ARE BECOMING REALLY IRREGULAR.
AND NOW THESE PERCENTAGES ARE UP
BETWEEN 60 OVER TO OVER 80% AND
THIS PERSISTS INTO THE POST
MENOPAUSE. AND SO ONE POINT I
WANNA MAKE FROM THIS SLIDE IS
ALMOST ALL WOMEN ARE AFFECTED BY
THESE SYMPTOMS AT SOME TIME
DURING THE MENOPAUSE TRANSITION.
THAT'S POINT NUMBER ONE AND
POINT NUMBER TWO IS THAT THERE'S
VARIABILITY. SO THE TOP LINE IN
THIS SLIDE THE GREEN LINE IS
AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN WHO
REPORT THE HIGHEST RATES OF HOT
FLASHES AND NIGHT SWEATS. THE
BOTTOM TWO LINES ARE THE CHINESE
AND JAPANESE WOMEN WHO HAVE THE
LOWEST RATES. SO VARIABILITY
ALMOST ALL WOMEN ARE AFFECTED
THAT WE SEE VARIATION AMONG THE
DIFFERENT, UM, RACIAL ETHNIC
GROUPS. I HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF
FACTORS THAT ARE RELATED TO
INCREASED RISK OF REPORTING
THESE SYMPTOMS, AND IN ADDITION
TO BEING AFRICAN AMERICAN OR
BEING THE LATE PERIMENOPAUSE OR
POST MENOPAUSE, WOMEN WHO HAVE
LESS THAN A COLLEGE EDUCATION
WHO ARE CURRENT SMOKERS, WHO
HAVE A HIGHER BODY MASS INDEX,
WHO HAVE A HISTORY OF
PREMENSTRUAL SYMPTOMS, OR WHO
SCORED HIGH ON OUR SCALES FOR
ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. UM ARE
AT HIGHER RISK OF REPORTING
THESE SYMPTOMS. WE ALSO LOOKED
AT A VARIETY OF OTHER FACTORS
THAT LISTED ON THE RIGHT HAND
SIDE OF THE SLIDE AND DID NOT
FIND THEM TO BE ASSOCIATED. I
WILL POINT OUT WE'RE FOCUSING ON
SWAN. THERE HAVE SINCE BEEN
OTHER STUDIES. THERE'S A LITTLE
BIT OF DISCREPANCY ON SOME OF
THESE OTHER THINGS THAT WE DID
NOT FIND RELATED. WHEN YOU LOOK
AT SOME OF THESE OTHER STUDIES.
UH, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE,
BECAUSE ONE THING WOMEN WANT
WANT WONDER ABOUT IS. HOW LONG
ARE THESE SYMPTOMS GONNA LAST?
SO THIS SLIDE LOOKS A LITTLE BIT
COMPLICATED. I'LL LEAD YOU
THROUGH IT. THE VERTICAL AXIS
HERE IS SAYING WHAT PROPORTION
OF WOMEN ARE STILL REPORTING
SYMPTOMS AND THE HORIZONTAL AXIS
AT THE BOTTOM IS SAYING FOR HOW
MANY YEARS AFTER THEY FIRST
REPORTED SYMPTOMS, AND THEN
AGAIN, EACH LINE REPRESENTS A
RACIAL OR ETHNIC GROUP. AND THEN
I. IT'S SHOWING UP A LITTLE BIT
FAINTLY HERE, BUT WHAT YOU CAN
SEE ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THIS
SLIDE IS BY HORIZONTAL LINE THAT
GOES ACROSS AT 0.5. THAT'S WHERE
HALF OF THE WOMEN WERE STILL
REPORTING SYMPTOMS. HALF WERE
NOT, BUT HALF WERE AND SO IF YOU
GO OUT TO THE FARTHEST LINE
THERE, THE DARKEST LINE THAT'S
AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN AND AT 10
YEARS, HALF OF THEM WERE STILL
REPORTING OM MOOR. WE CALL THESE
VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS. HOT FLASHES
NIGHT SWEATS. SHORT TERM IS
VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS, OK? A 10
YEARS AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN,
HALF OF THEM WERE STILL
REPORTING SYMPTOMS. AND OVERALL
IN THE WHOLE GROUP. IT WAS JUST
UNDER 7.5 YEARS. HALF OF THEM
WERE STILL REPORTING SYMPTOMS
AND THE AT THE BOTTOM TWO LINES.
THERE ARE THE JAPANESE AND
CHINESE WOMEN AND AT 5 TO 6
YEARS, HALF OF THEM WERE STILL
REPORTING THESE SYMPTOMS. SO
BOTTOM LINE HERE THE SYMPTOMS
LAST A LONG TIME PREVIOUS SLIDE.
YOU SAW THAT IT AFFECTS MOST
WOMEN. AND HERE AGAIN, WE SEE
VARIABILITY AMONG THE RACIAL AND
ETHNIC GROUPS IN TERMS OF WHO
GETS AFFECTED AND HOW LONG THEIR
SYMPTOMS LAST. SO MY LAST SLIDE
IF WE CAN GO TO THAT. AND SO DR
CARL MLA TALKED ABOUT LONG TERM
EFFECTS. I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT
MORE IMMEDIATE EFFECTS AND AGAIN
HERE WE SEE VARIABILITY. I'M NOT
TALKING ABOUT ALL WOMEN, BUT
SOME WOMEN WILL EXPERIENCE AS A
RESULT OF HOT FLASHES AND NIGHT
SWEATS DISTURBANCES IN THEIR
SLEEP DIFFICULTY REMEMBERING
THINGS. DIFFICULTY CONCENTRATING
, HAVING CHANGES IN THEIR MOOD,
HAVING LESS ENERGY AND PERHAPS,
UM, SORT OF REDUCING THEIR
SOCIAL INTERACTIONS. SO THE
BOTTOM LINE HERE FROM THIS SLIDE
IS THAT THE NET RESULT FOR SOME
WOMEN OF HOT FLASHES AND NIGHT
SWEATS IS A POOR QUALITY OF
LIFE. AND SO I THINK WHAT I'LL
DO IS STOP THERE AND SEE IF YOU
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. YOU CAN SHOW
THE LAST SLIDE. BUT THAT'S ALL
I'M GONNA FORMALLY SAY. THANK
YOU. UM IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT YOU KNOW
WOMEN OF COLOR HAVE A
DISADVANTAGE IN THE WORKPLACE.
AS A STARTING POINT AND THEN TO
BE EXPERIENCING MORE SEVERE
SYMPTOMS. ON TOP OF THAT IS
DEFINITELY OF CONCERN. AND AS WE
HEARD IN OUR LAST HEARING THOSE
FZO MOTOR IMPACTS CAN HAVE LONG
TERM HEALTH IMPACTS ON HEART
HEALTH, RIGHT. AND SO IT'S 10.
YEARS OF THAT IN WOMEN OF HØI
THERE IS AND WE'RE NOT DONE.
WE'RE STILL FOLLOWING THESE
WOMEN, SO WE'RE AND BY THE WAY
WE'RE GONNA WE'RE IN THE PROCESS
OF REPEAT, REPEATING THAT
ANALYSIS OF HOW LONG THE
SYMPTOMS LAST, AND NOW THAT WE
HAVE MORE FOLLOW UP, WE'LL HAVE
MORE INFORMATION AND I DARE SAY
THOSE NUMBERS WILL GO UP, BUT
THEY THEY DEFINITELY WILL CHANGE
, BUT WITH LONGER FOLLOW UP, I
THINK WE'LL SEE LONGER DURATION.
THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING WOMEN
FOR SO LONG. VERY FEW PEOPLE ARE
ACTUALLY DOING THIS WORK, SO
IT'S CRITICAL TO HAVE THIS
INFORMATION. I APPRECIATE BOTH
OF YOU, MR Z THAT QUESTION OR
THOUGHT. VERY INTERESTING. THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE
TODAY. IT'S REALLY, UM
INFORMATIVE RESEARCH. I, UH I
HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, UM
THE SIZES OF THE SAMPLES. I
UNDERSTAND THEY THEY WERE CHOSEN
A LONG TIME AGO AND SO HAVE BEEN
MOVING, UH, FORWARD, YOU KNOW,
BASED ON THE SIZE THAT YOU CHOSE
YEARS AGO, I IS THAT CORRECT?
CORRECT RIGHT. SO UH AS DOCTOR
KARL MLA SHOWED YOU. WE STARTED
OUT WITH 30 THREE 100 WOMEN AT
BASELINE. ROUGHLY HALF OF THEM
WERE WHITE. SO WE HAD SEVEN
CLINICAL SITES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY. EVERY SITE REC
RECRUITED WHITE WOMEN. BUT IN
ADDITION FOUR SITES, UH OF THOSE
74 RECRUITED AFRICAN AMERICAN
WOMEN, SO THERE WERE OVER 900
AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN, AND THEN
EACH OF THE THREE REMAINING
SITES RECRUITED EITHER CHINESE,
JAPANESE OR HISPANIC WOMEN,
ROUGHLY AT EACH SITE ABOUT 202
150 OF EACH OF THOSE GROUPS.
YES, WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THEM
OVER TIME. OUR RETENTION HAS
BEEN PRETTY GOOD, BUT NOT
PERFECT. WE'VE LOST WOMEN EITHER
BECAUSE THEY MOVED AWAY OR THEY
DIED OR THEY JUST KIND OF GOT
TIRED OF SEEING US. UM BUT WE
STILL HAVE HAD PRETTY GOOD
RETENTION. UH, THROUGH OUR, UH,
WE JUST COMPLETED VISIT 17.
YEAH, I THINK THE QUESTION I WAS
GONNA ASK WAS, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK
AT THOSE THEY DIDN'T LOOK LIKE
THE SAMPLE SIZES FOR THE ETHNIC
AND RACIAL GROUPS WERE RELATED
TO PERCENTAGES IN THE POPULATION
AT ALL. SO I WAS WONDERING, UM
WHAT? YOU KNOW WHETHER YOU'RE
CONFIDENT ABOUT THE INFORMATION
ON EACH OF THE GROUPS AND THEN
SECOND GIVEN THAT THIS WAS DONE.
MANY MANY YEARS AGO. OBVIOUSLY
YEAH, WHEN IT WAS STARTED, UM,
WHAT WOULD YOU BE? DO ARE THERE
OTHER ARE THERE OTHER GROUPS OF
WOMEN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN STUDIED
THAT YOU WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO
SEE. UH MORE RESEARCH BEING
CONDUCTED ON BOTH GOOD
QUESTIONS. UM I THINK WE HAVE.
FIRST OF ALL I SHOULD SAY WHICH
I'VE NEGLECTED TO SAY THESE
WOMEN WERE RECRUITED FROM THE
COMMUNITY. SO THESE WERE NOT
CLINIC BASED, WHICH IS AN
IMPORTANT DISTINCTION. THESE
WERE NOT WOMEN SEEKING CARE. SO
I THINK IN THAT SENSE WE HAVE
IMPROVED GENERALISABILITY, AND I
THINK IT'S PRETTY GOOD REGARDING
WHITE WOMEN. I THINK AFRICAN
AMERICAN WOMEN WERE ACTUALLY IN
A SENSE OVERREPRESENTED. THERE
WAS, UH, HAVE A GREATER
PERCENTAGE IN OUR STUDY THAN
THEY DO IN THE GENERAL
POPULATION. UM SO I THINK WE'RE
PRETTY GOOD ON THOSE TWO GROUPS
AND BUT SWAN WAS A UNIQUE AND IN
RECRUITING FIVE RACIAL AND
ETHNIC GROUPS REALLY WASN'T MUCH
OF THAT IN THE LITERATURE AT THE
TIME. WE STARTED THE STUDY, SO
IF I HAD THE CHOICE AND THE
FUNDS TO DO IT OVER AGAIN, I
WOULD DEFINITELY INCREASE THE
SAMPLE SIZES OF THE OTHER THREE
GROUPS. BUT IN ADDITION, THERE
ARE GROUPS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN
STUDIED OR AT LEAST NOT
EXTENSIVELY. WE HAVE NATIVE
AMERICAN WOMEN. UM WE HAD A
HISPANIC GROUP, BUT THEY WERE
LARGELY NOT NOT SOLELY BUT
LARGELY FROM PUERTO RICO,
BECAUSE IT WAS AN EAST COAST
SITE. I'M HERE IN IN THE WEST.
WE'D BE MORE INTERESTED IN YOU
KNOW MEXICAN AMERICANS AND
CENTRAL AMERICANS. BUT THERE ARE
ALSO OTHER ASIAN GROUPS.
FILIPINOS EAST INDIAN WOMEN, SO
I THINK YES, UH, YOU KNOW, IF
YOU KNOW IF I WERE MAKING THOSE
DECISIONS AND HAVE THE RESOURCES
, I WOULD INCREASE IT GREATLY TO
OTHER, UH RACIAL AND ETHNIC
GROUPS. DID I FORGET THE OTHER
PART OF YOUR QUESTION? BUT HOW?
HOW DO YOU MOVING FORWARD? THEN
HOW DO YOU SORT OF COMPENSATE
FOR THOSE GAPS IN DATA? WELL I
DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN EXACTLY
COMPENSATE WITH THE RESULTS THAT
WE HAVE. I MEAN, I HOPE THAT WE
HAVE PRETTY GOOD
GENERALISABILITY. BUT I DO THINK
A LOT OF THESE SYMPTOMS AND THE
SYMPTOM REPORTING AND TREATMENT
AND HOW WOMEN ARE TREATED AND SO
FORTH. VARIOUS CULTURALLY. UM IT
ALSO VARIES PHYSIOLOGICALLY AND
SO FORTH, AND SO I THINK WE HAVE
GOOD GENERAL LIABILITY. BUT IF
YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY
SOMETHING ABOUT EAST INDIAN
WOMEN OR FILIPINO WOMEN, YOU
NEED TO STUDY THOSE WOMEN. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. UM OK,
WE WILL NOW TURN TO MISS
MORIMOTO ABOUT HOW GENENTECH IS
PROVIDING BENEFITS, UM, TO SPEAK
TO THESE IMPACTS ON WOMEN IN THE
WORKPLACE. ONE CASE STUDY. THANK
YOU. SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME
TODAY, SO I ON OKAY? GOOD
MORNING. I LEAD THE, UM, BENEFIT
STRATEGY TEAM AT GENENTECH. SO
I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE
EMPLOYER PERSPECTIVE. WE ARE,
UH, PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURER
HEADQUARTERED IN SOUTH SAN
FRANCISCO. UH, WE DO NOT HAVE
ANY PRODUCTS IN THE MENOPAUSE,
P. I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE OVER 12,000
EMPLOYEES IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA AND ANOTHER 10,000
ACROSS THE U S¼ WHO ARE IN OUR
BENEFIT PROGRAMS. ALL OF OUR
EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS THEIR
SPOUSES OR PARTNERS ARE ELIGIBLE
FOR THE BENEFITS. I'M GOING TO
DISCUSS FREE AT NÓ CHARGE TO
THEM. SO OUR JOURNEY BEGAN ABOUT
A YEAR AND A HALF AGO WHEN AT A
FIRESIDE CHAT AT GENE AND TECH
WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL SUMMIT,
SEVERAL WOMEN LEADERS HAD A VERY
OPEN DIALOGUE ABOUT THE IMPACT
MENOPAUSE WAS HAVING ON THEM IN
THE WORKPLACE. AND IT WAS THE
SAME THINGS WE'VE BEEN HEARING
ABOUT TODAY IN TERMS OF
INTERRUPTED SLEEP, UM,
DIFFICULTY CONCENTRATING THE
DISCOMFORT OF HOT FLASHES, AND
FOLLOWING THAT MEETING, MY CHIEF
OF HUMAN RESOURCES ASKED ME WHAT
WE MIGHT DO TO BETTER SUPPORT
OUR WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE WHO
ARE UNDERGOING MENOPAUSE. WE
WERE ABLE TO LEVERAGE AN
EXISTING RELATIONSHIP THAT WE
HAD WITH OUR HEALTH PLAN TO VERY
QUICKLY IMPLEMENT MENOPAUSE
BENEFITS THROUGH A TELEHEALTH
COMPANY CALLED MAVEN WHO
SPECIALIZES IN WOMEN'S HEALTH.
UM, WHAT THIS HAS DONE FOR US IS
REALLY HELPED REDUCE STIGMA AND
NORMALIZE THE CONVERSATION
AROUND A HEALTH JOURNEY. SO ONE
OF THINGS I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT
IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HEALTH.
WHETHER IT'S PHYSICAL HEALTH,
MENTAL HEALTH, I WOULD LIKE TO
SEE US DISCUSSING HEALTH. IT'S
JUST HEALTH. INCREASING ACCESS
AND AVAILABILITY, AND THAT'S
WHAT THIS BENEFIT DOES FOR US,
SO IT'S DELIVERED VIA A DIGITAL
PLATFORM. IT'S AVAILABLE 24 BY
SEVEN. IT HAS EDUCATIONAL
ARTICLES THAT HAVE BEEN VETTED.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS MIGHT BE
WHAT TREATMENT OPTIONS MIGHT BE
LIFESTYLE REMEDIES, ABILITY TO
CHAT AND ASK QUESTIONS,
CONVERSATIONS TO BUILD COMMUNITY
AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, ON DEMAND
ACCESS TO SPECIALISTS. SO
THERE'S OVER 30 TYPES OF
SPECIALIST CLINICIANS THAT A
WOMAN CAN MEET WITH SAME DAY.
THAT AGAIN. THIS IS AT NÓ COST.
YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO LOOK FOR A
PROVIDER SCHEDULE IT PAY FOR IT,
AND IT'S Ó BGY N S¼. IT'S
NUTRITIONIST, PELVIC FLOOR
SPECIALIST MENTAL HEALTH
CLINICIANS, CAREER COACHES SO
THAT EACH WOMAN CAN GET THE
INDIVIDUALIZED PERSONALIZED
CONSULTATION THAT SHE NEEDS TO
DISCUSS WHAT SHE'S EXPERIENCING
WHAT HER TREATMENT OPTIONS MIGHT
BE. AND THEN IF SHE WISHES TO
SEEK SOME TYPE OF TREATMENT,
SUCH AS HORMONE THERAPY, SHE
WOULD THEN ACCESS HER MEDICAL
BENEFITS WHERE THEY'RE COVERED
IT SAME AS ANY OTHER MEDICAL OR
PHARMACEUTICAL TREATMENT WOULD
BE. SO FOR US IN IN, YOU KNOW,
COMPETING WITH TALENT IN THE BAY
AREA, SILICON VALLEY, OTHER
PHARMA COMPANIES. YOU KNOW,
WE'RE ONE OF ABOUT 4% OF
COMPANIES ACROSS THE U S¼, WHO
TODAY OFFER MENOPAUSE BENEFITS.
SO FOR US BEING ABLE TO CLOSE
THAT GAP. AND REALLY SUPPORT
WOMEN, SO THEY FEEL INCLUDED IN
A WORKPLACE HAS BEEN HUGE. WHEN
WE LAUNCHED THE BENEFIT, WHICH
WE DID LAST YEAR IN
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, SO
MARCH 8TH OF 2023. WE HELD TWO
WEBINARS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND
THEIR PARTNERS TO HEAR ABOUT
THESE NEW BENEFITS. BUT WE ALSO
DID, UH, MANAGER TRAINING, SO WE
SHARED WHAT THE SYMPTOMS ARE AND
HOW OUR OUR PEOPLE LEADERS COULD
BETTER SUPPORT WOMEN IN THE
WORKFORCE WHEN THEY WERE
UNDERGOING MENOPAUSE, AND I JUST
WANTED TO CLOSE WITH A COUPLE OF
THE QUOTES THAT WOMEN SHARED
WITH US. ONE THAT REALLY HURT MY
HEART WAS I'VE BEEN LIVING IN
SHAME FOREVER. SIX YEARS. BUT
ANOTHER WISE SO NEEDED VERY
GRATEFUL. IT'S OPEN TO A SPOUSES
TOO. AND THE FINAL WAS I FEEL
SEEN AND HURT. THANK YOU FOR
THAT, UM YEAH, THERE'S SO MUCH I
THINK WRAPPED UP IN AGING AND
MENOPAUSE THAT YOU GUYS ARE Dð
STIGMATIZING AND ADDRESSING. I
THINK THAT'S INCREDIBLE. SO
THANK YOU. UM DON'T GO ANYWHERE.
I KNOW I HAVE QUESTIONS, AND I'M
SURE OTHERS DO. UM BUT WE'RE
GONNA TURN TO MISS BERNIE SCOTT,
UM, ON THE IMPACTS YOU'VE SEEN
IN MENOPAUSE STIGMA IN THE
WORKPLACE AND SOCIETY AND, UM,
YOUR WORK ON MENOPAUSE FROM
MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. I
THINK YOU'RE ONLINE. SO WHEN YOU
SPEAK, WE WILL HEAR AND SEE YOU.
CAN YOU HEAR AND SEE ME? YES
PERFECT. HØI HELLO. HELLO FROM
NORTH CAROLINA. UM, THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR HAVING ME TODAY. UM I
WANNA, UM FRAME MY COMMENTS
ABOUT THE FACT THAT I AM NOT A
RESEARCHER OR A DOCTOR. UM BUT I
AM A REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE
ADVOCATE ENGAGED IN NORMALIZING
THE MENOPAUSE EXPERIENCES OF
BLACK WOMEN, SIMS, GENDER, QUEER
, TRANS AND NON BINARY PEOPLE
THROUGH CULTURE AND NARRATIVE
SHIFT WORK, UM, MENOPAUSE. TO
THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND
REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE ISSUE, AND
I UNDERSTANDING AND FRAMING OF
MENOPAUSE. UM, INSIDE OF THE
REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE NEEDS TO
TAKE CONSIDERATION THAT
REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE IS A 30
YEAR OLD MOVEMENT LITERALLY
TURNS 30 YEARS OLD TODAY. UM IT
WAS STARTED IN 1994 AS A RESULT
OF 12 BLACK WOMEN PARTICIPATING
IN A WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN'S
HEALTH IN CAIRO, EGYPT, AND WHEN
THEY RETURNED TO THE UNITED
STATES, THEY REALIZED THAT THE
REP THE HEALTH WORK THAT THEY
WERE DOING WITH NOT TAKING IN
CONSIDERATION A HUMAN RIGHTS
FRAMEWORK SO THEY CAME BACK.
THEY NAMED THEMSELVES, UM WOMEN
OF AFRICAN DESCENT FOR
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, AND THUS
THE MOVEMENT BEGAN. UM BUT IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND
THE KIND OF HISTORICAL CONTEXT
I'M I'M GONNA BRING THAT INTO
THIS CONVERSATION. YOU KNOW, THE
NAMING AND FRAMING OF MENOPAUSE
CAME ONLINE IN 1821. I'M SURE.
MANY OF THE DOCTORS WHO'VE
SPOKEN AND RESEARCHERS HAVE
SPOKEN OF THIS INFORMATION. THIS
TERM WAS COINED BY A FRENCH
PHYSICIAN NAMED PAUL CHARLES.
PIERRE LOUISE, DEAR, UM, AND IT
IS ONE OF THE FIRST PUBLISHED AN
ARTICLE IT WAS BASICALLY CALLED
MENOPAUSE. THE CRITICAL AGE OF
WOMEN. UM AND I BELIEVE THAT THE
NAMING OF AN EXPERIENCE THAT
WILL HAPPEN PREDOMINANTLY, UM BY
WOMEN IDENTIFIED PEOPLE AND FOR
ALL PEOPLE WHO HAVE UTERUSES AND
OVARIES IS PROBLEMATIC. UM,
BECAUSE IT PERCEIVED WOMEN AND
WOMEN AND IDENTIFIED, UM,
HISTORY AND OUR HEALTH AS A
PROBLEM. UM DOCTOR GIN. UM,
EXPLANATION OF HOW PEOPLE WITH
OVARIES EXPERIENCE HORMONAL
CHANGES WITH REFLECTIVE OF SO
MUCH OF THE PSEUDOSCIENCE THAT
WAS HAPPENING IN THE EARLY 19TH
CENTURY, IT WAS FRAUGHT WITH
STEREOTYPES AND PATRIARCHAL
TROPES. UM AND THE MENOPAUSE
BECAME YET ANOTHER REASON TO
ASSERT THE FRAGILITY OF THE
FEMININE FORM IN MIND, BODY AND
SPIRIT. SO UM, AND IT PRESENTED
A MALE DOMINATED CULTURE WITH
ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO OPPRESS
WOMEN AND WOMEN. IDENTIFY PEOPLE
THROUGH THE SCIENCE, UM, AND THE
GROWING FIELD OF GYNE. UM WE
ALSO MUST NOT FORGET THAT THE SO
CALLED FATHER OF GYNECOLOGY JAY
MARION SIMS OWNED HIS EXPERTISE
AND THE NEWLY DEVELOPING FIELD
BY PRACTICING ON ENSLAVED BLACK
WOMEN, UM WITHOUT ANESTHESIA OR
CONSIDERATION FOR THEIR PAIN.
THERE ARE WOMEN LIKE LUCY. NAKA
AND BETSY, WHO WERE PRACTICED ON
OVER 30 TIMES OVER SEVERAL YEARS
. UM WITHOUT CONSENT, SO
MENOPAUSE WAS AND CONTINUES TO
BE A WOMEN'S HEALTH ISSUE THAT
HAS BEEN PRO PROBLEM AND
PATHOLOGIZE. UM THIS HAS COME UP
IN THE COMMENTS FROM OUR
COLLEAGUES FROM THE U Kò THAT
YOU KNOW BY 2025 OVER A BILLION
PEOPLE WILL EXPERIENCE MENOPAUSE
WORLDWIDE, AND THAT'S 12% OF THE
WORLD POPULATION. AND THOUGH
MENOPAUSE IS A CRITICAL POINT ON
THE REPRODUCTIVE SPECTRUM LESS
THAN 30% OF MEDICAL STUDENTS
RECEIVE SUBSTANTIVE TRAINING ON
THE SUBJECT. AND LESS THAN 3% OF
Ó BGY N S¼ CONSIDER THEMSELVES
TO BE EXPERTISE TO BE EXPERTS ON
THE SUBJECT. UM I REALLY
APPRECIATE US ELEVATING AND
LIFTING UP THE CONVERSATION
ABOUT THE SWAN STUDY. UM THE
SWAN STUDY HAS SO MUCH IMPORTANT
INFORMATION, AND IT IS ALSO USED
AS A GOOD ENTRY POINT IN A
PATHWAY TO LARGER CONVERSATION
ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF MENOPAUSE,
UM, ACROSS GENDER ACROSS RACE.
UM MIGHT ALSO MY UNDERSTANDING
ALSO IS THAT THE SWAN STUDIED
WOMEN, UM, WERE BETWEEN THE AGES
OF 1944 AND 1954. SO ANY OF THE
BLACK PARTICIPANTS, UM, LIKELY
GREW UP IN THE UNITED STATES, UM
, IN A SOCIETY THAT WAS SHAPED
BY STRUCTURAL AND INSTITUTIONAL
RACISM EMBODIED BY JIM CROW LAWS
, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE INTO
CONSIDERATION WHEN WE UNDERSTAND
EPIGENETICS AND THE EXPERIENCES
OF POST TRAUMATIC STRESS AND HOW
PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD GENERATIONAL
STRESS AND THEIR ALLO STATIC
LOWS AND THEIR SUSTAINED
CORTISOL LEVELS AND ADRENALINE
LEVELS HAVE AN IMPACT ON THEIR
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. AND
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
FOR US TO LIFT UP WHEN WE THINK
ABOUT WHY THERE MAY BE, UM
LONGER, MORE INTENSE OM MORTAL
SYMPTOMS THAT BLACK WOMEN OR
BLACK FEMME OR WOMEN IDENTIFY
PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE EXPERIENCE AND
ALTHOUGH THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF
1964 WAS A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH IN
CIVIL LIBERTIES, IT IS WIDELY
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THESE
SUBSTANTIAL DISPARITIES IN
EDUCATION ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES
. ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE.
PERSISTENT LONG PASS THIS
PASSAGE RIGHT? AND SO BLACK
WOMEN IN THE SWAN STUDY WERE
ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS
WHEN THIS WAS HAPPENING, SO I
THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO
TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ALL OF
THE CULTURAL, HISTORICAL AND
POLITICAL FACTORS AND HOW THAT
HAS LONG TERM HEALTH IMPACTS AND
CERTAINLY HAVE IMPACTS ON PEOPLE
WHO ARE EXPERIENCING MENOPAUSE.
WE LAUNCHED THE BLACK GIRLS
GUIDE TO SURVIVING MENOPAUSE IN
2019 TO COUNTERBALANCE THE
HARMFUL NARRATIVES AND THE LACK
OF RESOURCES FOR MENOPAUSAL
BLACK PEOPLE. UM THE BLACK GIRLS
GUIDE IS A MULTIDISCIPLINARY
INITIATIVE FOCUSED ON CULTURAL
ORGANIZING, NARRATIVE SHIFT WORK
AND ADVOCACY. UM WE UNDERSTAND
THE HISTORICAL CONTEMPORARY
EXPERIENCES OF BLACK IDENTIFIED
PEOPLE, UM INTERGENERATIONALLY
ACROSS CLASS AND THROUGH GENDER
AND RACIAL EQUITY LENS IS
CRITICAL. FOR A BODY SOVEREIGNTY
. UH, WE BELIEVE THAT BLACK
PEOPLE ARE THE EXPERTS OF OUR
OWN BODIES AND THAT OWNING OUR
STORIES IS VITAL TO HAVE AN
AGENCY OVER OUR EXPERIENCES,
RELATIONSHIPS AND LIBERATION BY
INTEGRATING REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE
, BLACK, RADICAL FEMINISM,
GENDER LIBERATION, THE BLACK
GIRLS GUY NORMALIZES MENOPAUSE
BY CENTERING FIRST PERSON
NARRATIVES OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO
EXIST AT THE MARGINS OF THE
GROWING MENOPAUSE LANDSCAPE. UM,
WE NURTURE A COMMUNITY BY
INCLUDING ALL VOICES AND LIVED
EXPERIENCES, SIS TRANS INTERSEX,
QUEER, STRAIGHT, AFFLUENT, LOW
WEALTH, ACTIVIST AND CREATIVES.
WE DO THIS THROUGH
INTERGENERATIONAL GATHERINGS,
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS,
COLLABORATION PUBLICATIONS, UM,
AND COMMUNITY INFORMED
PROGRAMMING. WE ALSO INVITE
PEOPLE TO EXPLORE THE ESSENCE OF
MENOPAUSE BEYOND GENDER AND AGE
OR SOCIETY HELD FRAMES. UM AND
WE FOCUS ON SELF KNOWLEDGE AND
PREPARATION FOR THIS JOURNEY AS
AN ACT OF SELF DETERMINATION.
UH, WE ARE A SOUTHERN BASED
PROJECT AND OUR HOME BASE IS IN
NORTH CAROLINA. BUT OUR WORK IS
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AND
WE HAVE PARTNERS IN THE GLOBAL
SOUTH. UM, WHEN THE COMMUNITIES
OF PEOPLE MOVE IN THE WORLD WITH
IDENTITIES THAT EXIST OUTSIDE OF
THE FRAME PUT FORTH BY RACISM
AND PATRIARCHY, THEY'RE
MARGINALIZED AND THEIR
EXPERIENCES AND NEEDS ARE
INVISIBLE. AND THIS INVISIBLE
NATION, UM, INVISIBLE IS MORE
THAN JUST ERASURE. IT'S
DEHUMANIZING AND ITS VIOLENT UM,
FIVE THINGS THAT I WISH I HAD
KNOWN BEFORE I STARTED THIS WORK
IS THAT MENOPAUSE IS A HIGHLY
INDIVIDUALIZED PHYSICAL,
CULTURAL AND POLITICAL
EXPERIENCE. THERE IS NÓ ONE SIZE
FITS ALL. UM, MENOPAUSE DOES NOT
ALWAYS HAPPEN IN YOUR FORTIES
AND FIFTIES. WE HAVE INTERVIEWED
PEOPLE THROUGH OUR PODCAST AND
PEOPLE WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN
OUR INNER GENERATIONAL COMMUNITY
EVENTS WHO EXPERIENCE MENOPAUSE
IN THEIR TWENTIES AND THIRTIES
FOR VAST AND SUNDRY REASONS, NOT
NOT ONLY, INCLUDING GENDER
AFFIRMING CARE FOR PEOPLE WHO
ARE TRANS, WHO HAVE HAD FULL
HYSTERECTOMIES TO BE IN MORE IN
ALIGNMENT WITH THEIR GENDER
IDENTITY, AS WELL AS PEOPLE WHO
HAD CERVICAL CANCER. UTERINE
CANCER, UM AND THE SO WHEN WE
WHEN WE FOCUS PRIMARILY ON WHAT
IS TYPICAL, THEN WE'RE MISSING
PEOPLE AT THE MARGINS WHO HAVE
ALSO EXPERIENCED MENOPAUSE. UM
MENOPAUSE HAPPENS TO PEOPLE WHO
DON'T IDENTIFY AS WOMEN. IT
HAPPENS TO PEOPLE WHO GENDER.
UM, IDENTIFY OUTSIDE OF THE
BINARY OF FEMALE AND MALE. UM,
MENOPAUSE HAPPENS TO PEOPLE WHO
AREN'T HETEROSEXUAL. UM WITH
THAT NÓ ONE SIZE FITS ALL THE
DIVERSITY OF INDIVIDUAL
MENOPAUSE EXPERIENCES IS
IMPACTED BY OUR FAMILIES OF
ORIGIN AND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF
OUR BODIES. CULTURE ENVIRONMENT,
SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION LIKE
INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM,
PATRIARCHY, HOMOPHOBIA,
TRANSPHOBIA AND MISOGYNY. UM,
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PARTNER WITH
A COUPLE OF ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR
ADVOCACY EFFORTS TO, UM, MAKE
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, THAT
WE HAVE SEEN. COME TO BEAR. UM
THE FIRST ONE IS WE PARTICIPATED
IN A REPRODUCTIVE BLACK
REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE POLICY
AGENDA WITHIN OUR OWN VOICE.
NATIONAL BLACK WOMEN'S
REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE POLICY
AGENDA. SO IN 2021 THEY BROUGHT
TOGETHER ABOUT 30 BLACK
REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE
ORGANIZATIONS FROM ACROSS THE
COUNTRY TO CREATE THE FIRST EVER
BLACK REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE
POLICY AGENDA. UM IT'S A
STRATEGIC AND HONEST COMPILATION
OF KEY ISSUES, POLICY
RECOMMENDATIONS THAT REPRESENT
OUR COLLECTIVE VISION, AND WE
OFFER A TIME THEY'VE OFFERED A
TIMELY UPDATE. SO IF YOU I'LL
MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL HAVE A
COPY OF THIS OR A LINK TO THIS
BECAUSE WE DID A REFRESH LAST
YEAR. WE KNOW THAT BLACK WOMEN,
GIRLS AND GENDER EXPANSIVE
PEOPLE ARE DYNAMIC LEADERS IN
EVERY PART OF THE COUNTRY, BUT
AND THEY ARE OFTEN THE BACKBONE
OF OUR FAMILIES AND MOVEMENTS
AND ECONOMY AND OUR DEMOCRACY.
UM SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT
CAME UP IN TERMS OF POLICY
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MENOPAUSE
INCLUDE FUNDING INTERSECTIONAL
RESEARCH ABOUT BLACK WOMEN'S
SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
BEFORE DURING AND AFTER THE
MENOPAUSE TRANSITION, UM AGING
WOMEN, PARTICULARLY WOMEN OF
COLOR HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT OF
RESEARCH AND SUBSTANTIVE WAYS.
UM FUNDING FOR INTERSECTIONAL
RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO ADDRESS
THIS PROBLEM AND TO GENERATE
INFORMATION ABOUT HEALTH
DISPARITIES, SO THAT'S INCLUDING
CANCER, CHRONIC CONDITIONS,
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, DIABETES
AND THE LIKE, UM ALSO WANTING TO
INVEST IN EXPANDING MEDICAID,
HOME AND COMMUNITY BASED HEALTH
SERVICES FOR OLDER AMERICANS AND
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO
STRENGTHEN THE DIRECT CARE
WORKFORCE AND ENSURING CULTURAL
COMPETENCY AND TRAINING AND CARE
. UH AND THEN ALSO PASSING UM OR
RE, UM, SHORING UP THE
LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED IN
2021 AROUND PROTECTING OLDER
WORKERS AGAINST AGE
DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE.
UM ANOTHER GROUP THAT WE
PARTNERED WITH IS THE SOCIETY
FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH AND RESEARCH.
UM WE'VE BEEN A PART OF THEIR
MENOPAUSE WORKPLACE WORKING
GROUP, AND THEY PUT TOGETHER AN
EMPLOYEE'S PERSPECTIVE, UM
AROUND TRANSITIONS IN MENOPAUSE
IN THE WORKPLACE. UM THIS IS A
REALLY IMPORTANT, UM,
INFORMATION TO KIND OF LIKE
SUPPLEMENT WHAT YOU ALL HAVE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT, AND
UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THE
IMPACTS OF MENOPAUSE IN THE
WORKPLACE, AND THEY COME UP WITH
SOME RESOURCE TOOLS THAT I THINK
ARE AMAZING. UM ONE IS, UM, THE
IDEA OF A MENOPAUSE READINESS
ASSESSMENT FOR EMPLOYERS, RIGHT,
SO IT'S LIKE THINKING ABOUT WHAT
ARE THE FORMAL POLICIES THAT
CURRENTLY EXIST SPECIFICALLY TO
ADDRESS MENOPAUSE CHALLENGES IN
THE WORKPLACE? UM WHICH OTHER
POLICIES IN THE WORKPLACE COULD
BE ADOPTED TO ADDRESS MENOPAUSE?
CHALLENGES? UM, ARE THERE
ADAPTABLE? FLEXIBLE ALTERNATIVE
OPTIONS FOR EMPLOYEE UNIFORMS.
MANY OF THE WORKPLACE POLICY
CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING
IS PRESUMPTIVE OR MAKING THE
ASSUMPTION THAT WE'RE ONLY
TALKING ABOUT WOMEN BETWEEN A
CERTAIN AGE WHO WORK IN
CORPORATE AMERICA. WE'RE NOT
TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION PEOPLE
WHO ARE HOURLY EMPLOYEES WHO ARE
PART OF THE GIG ECONOMY,
DOMESTIC WORKERS, PEOPLE WHO ARE
SELF EMPLOYED, AND SO WHEN WE'RE
THINKING ABOUT ALL THE BREATH OF
ALL WORKERS UM, THAT'S A REALLY
IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO TAKE
INTO CONSIDERATION APPROXIMATELY
50 PER 57% OF ALL WOMEN IN THE
UNITED STATES HAVE MULTIPLE
JOBS. UM WOMEN ARE EMPLOYED IN A
DIVERSE ARRAY OF INDUSTRIES AND
ACCOUNT FOR OVER HALF OF THE
ESSENTIAL WORKERS IN INDUSTRIES
SUCH AS EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE,
FINANCE AND HOSPITALITY. IN FACT
, 75% OF WOMEN AGES 45 TO 54
PARTICIPATE IN THE U S¼
WORKFORCE, SO MAKING SURE THAT
WE WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT
WORKFORCE, WE ARE NOT, UM
CHARACTERIZING IT ONLY AS KIND
OF A WHITE CIS HETERO MIDDLE
CLASS CORPORATE AMERICA ISSUE.
UM IT IS AN ISSUE THAT GOES
ACROSS CLASS. UM THEY ALSO DID A
WORKING GROUP FOCUS GROUP, UM,
TO PULL INFORMATION FROM FOLK
WHO ARE IN THE WORKPLACE TO TALK
ABOUT ISSUES AND SOME OF THE
OFFERINGS THAT THEY MADE IS THAT
AGE, GENDER AND WORKPLACE
DYNAMICS ARE KEY DETERMINANTS IN
WORKPLACE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
HEALTH, UM, AND REQUESTS FOR
HEALTH RELATED ACCOMMODATION.
THEY ALSO SHARE THAT KNOWLEDGE
ABOUT MENOPAUSE AND IMPACT IN
THE WORKPLACE ARE VERY LIMITED.
UM EVEN AMONG MENOPAUSAL WOMEN,
THERE'S A BIT OF SHAME AND
EMBARRASSMENT THAT MENOPAUSAL
WOMEN EXPERIENCE IN THE
WORKPLACE. UM WE COULD TAKE, UM,
HUGE LESSONS FROM THE WORK
THAT'S BEEN DONE IN THE
REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE MOVEMENT
FOR PREGNANT AND BIRTHING PEOPLE
IN THEIR RETURN TO WORK AND
THEIR ABILITY TO HAVE LACTATION
SPACES AND THE FLEXIBILITY TO BE
ABLE TO PUMP THEIR BREAST MILK
AT WORK. AND I THINK THAT WE CAN
LEARN FROM OTHER MOVEMENT WORK
THAT HAS HAPPENED SO WE CAN MAKE
WORKPLACES MUCH MORE OPEN AND
ACCESSIBLE AND DEST STIGMATIZING
THE CONVERSATION. A HUMAN
RESOURCES HAVE NOT CONSIDERED,
UM SORRY. HUMAN RESOURCES IS NOT
CONSIDERED A TRUSTED RESOURCE AS
IT RELATES TO MENOPAUSE OR
GENERAL HEALTH CONVERSATIONS AND
SHOULD PLAY A MORE ACTIVE ROLE
IN ENGAGING WITH EMPLOYEES. THAT
MEANS THAT HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGERS, DIRECTORS AND
EMPLOYEES NEED BE TRAINED BETTER
AND UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS OF
MENOPAUSE, POTENTIALLY ON THE
WORKPLACE. UM COMPARISONS WERE
MADE TO MENTAL HEALTH, MATERNAL
PATERNAL SITUATIONS IN TERMS OF
WORKPLACE COMFORT, ATTITUDES AND
CHANGES. UH LET'S SEE HERE. I'M
GONNA SKIP DOWN HERE AND JUST
MAKE THIS LITTLE LAST PIECE. UM
THE RESOURCES FOR MENOPAUSE.
PEOPLE ARE SPARSE. I'M JUST
GONNA BE VERY, VERY HONEST ABOUT
THAT. WHAT EXISTS HAS BEEN BUILT
FOR SOMEONE WHO TYPICALLY
IDENTIFIES AS CISGENDER OR
HETEROSEXUAL BETWEEN THE AGES
AND FOR IN THEIR FORTIES OR
FIFTIES, UM, RACISM, PATRIARCHY
AND MISOGYNY ALL PLAY. A
SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN HOW THE
STIGMA OF AGING AND THE EVOLVING
WOMEN IDENTIFIED BODIES
TRANSLATES ACROSS GENERATIONS.
THE SILENCE IS CONCERNING AND
DANGEROUS FOR BLACK, INDIGENOUS
AND OTHER WOMEN OF COLOR AND
GENDER, EXPANSIVE PEOPLE WHO
HAVE EXPERIENCED MENOPAUSE
EARLIER AND HAVE MORE PROLONGED
INTENSE SYMPTOMS IN THEIR WHITE
COUNTERPARTS. UM WE ALSO
UNDERSTAND THAT IN THE UNITED
STATES THE EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE
OF COLOR CERTAINLY BE TAKEN INTO
CONSIDERATION. THERE IS A HUGE
OPPORTUNITY TO FILL THE VOID BY
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES TO SHIFT
THE CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING OF
WHAT MENOPAUSE IS AND AGING
THROUGH THE STORIES AND CAN LEAD
TO MORE INTERSECTIONAL RESEARCH,
ADVOCACY AND POLICY CHANGE.
POPULAR EDUCATION TEACHES US
THAT OUR COLLECTIVE AND SHARED
STORIES ARE A PATHWAY TO
LIBERATOR DECISION MAKING AND
ACTIONS THAT GETS US ALL FREE.
BLACK PEOPLE WITH UTERUSES
WHO'VE EXPERIENCED MENOPAUSE OR
WILL EXPERIENCE MENOPAUSE
DESERVE INTENTIONALLY CREATED
SPACES AND COMMUNITIES TO ENGAGE
IN INTERGENERATIONAL DIALOGUES
AND ACCESS TO RESOURCES THAT
SUPPORT THEIR CARE, BODILY
AUTONOMY AND AGENCY. WE ARE
NORMALIZING THE STAGE OF LIFE
THAT SHOULD ALWAYS BE A PART OF
THOUGHTFUL AND ACCESSIBLE
CONVERSATIONS. THANK YOU.
AWESOME THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND
IN OUR LAST HEARING A COUPLE
WEEKS AGO, WE HAD A STANFORD
RESEARCHER WHO HAD DONE RESEARCH
ON, UM, SURGICALLY INDUCED
MENOPAUSE AND ENLIGHTENED ALL OF
US TO THE FACT THAT, UM BLACK
WOMEN SPECIFICALLY HAVE MUCH
HIGHER RATES OF SURGICALLY
INDUCED AND THEREFORE EARLY
ONSET MENOPAUSE. UM WHICH WAS
SOMETHING I THINK ALL OF US WERE
NOT AWARE OF. AND UM REALLY, I
THINK BROUGHT TO LIGHT WHAT
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS
JUST SO IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK
AT THE DIVERSE EXPERIENCES OF
WOMEN IN MENOPAUSE ACROSS THE
AGE RANGE ACROSS THE UM, RACIAL.
CARDS RACE ACROSS, UM. L GB Tð Q
SPECTRUM AND MAKE SURE THAT
WE'RE MEETING EVERYONE WHERE
THEY'RE AT BECAUSE IT ISN'T
ALWAYS THE SAME. AND IT WASN'T I
GUESS WHEN I SAT BACK, AND I
THOUGHT ABOUT THAT RESEARCH THAT
SHE BROUGHT TO US IT FELT UM,
REMINISCENT OF WHAT WE'VE
LEARNED ABOUT MATERNAL MORTALITY
AND SORT OF THE SAME DYNAMIC,
BUT WE JUST DON'T TALK ABOUT IT
AS MUCH IN THE MENOPAUSAL SPACE
IN THE LONG TERM HEALTH IMPACTS
ARE SO REAL THAT WE NEED TO
START TALKING ABOUT IT AND
COMBATING IT. SO I REALLY
APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND,
UM, BEING A PART OF MAKING SURE
THAT THESE VOICES AREN'T
INVISIBLE. SO APPRECIATE YOUR
TESTIMONY. PLEASURE I JUST
RETURNED FROM THE MOTHERS OF
GYNECOLOGY, UM, CONFERENCE AND,
UM MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, WHERE IF
WE HAD Ó BGY N S¼ BIRTH WORK.
DOULAS NURSE, MY WIVES, UM
PEOPLE WHO ARE ADVOCATES TO
DISRUPT THE MATERNAL MORTALITY
ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE
BLACK COMMUNITY AND THAT CAME UP
WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
MENOPAUSE. UM MANY PEOPLE IN THE
ROOM HAVE EXPERIENCED, UM,
MEDICAL MENOPAUSE BECAUSE OF
HYSTERECTOMIES BECAUSE OF
FIBROIDS OR ENDOMETRIOSIS. BUT
THERE WAS NÓ CONVERSATION THAT
WAS HAD WITH THEM ABOUT THE FACT
THAT THEY WERE GOING TO GO INTO
MEDICAL MENOPAUSE OR THE IMPACT
THAT THEY HAVE EXPERIENCE OVER
THE LAST DECADE. HOWEVER LONG
THEY HAVE BEEN IN MEDICAL
MENOPAUSE. AND SO WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT HOW THAT MIGHT IMPACT
SOMEONE IN THE WORKPLACE, AND
ALL OF THEIR RELATIONSHIPS IS
CRITICAL FOR US TO TAKE INTO
CONSIDERATION THAT THAT FACT.
YEAH THANK YOU. UM OK, WE ARE
GOING TO TURN TO PROFESSOR KAREN
TO GIVE US A SENSE OF THE LEGAL
LANDSCAPE AND WHAT YOU'VE
LEARNED FROM OUR PARTNERS IN THE
U Kò. WE'RE SORT OF SANDWICHING.
THE U Kò CONVERSATION. AND THEN
WE WILL, UM HAVE QUESTIONS SO
PROFESSOR KAREN, IF YOU SPEAK, I
THINK WE'LL SEE YOU. GREAT THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR HOLDING THIS
HEARING THE EXISTING THE
EXISTENCE OF THIS HEARING ALONE
HELPS TO DESTIGMATIZE THE
MENSTRUAL CYCLE AND SUPPORT
CURRENT AND FORMER MENSTRUATES
IN THE PROCESS. I'M GOING TO
MAKE THREE POINTS TODAY. FIRST
AS YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD BOTH
ACROSS THE POND AND HERE IN THE
STATES, MOST WORKPLACES ARE NOT
DESIGNED TO ADDRESS NEEDS
RELATED TO PERIODS,
PERIMENOPAUSE OR MENOPAUSE.
RATHER WORKERS HAVE BEEN FIRED
FOR DAMAGING COMPANY PROPERTY
WHEN THEY COULD NOT CONTAIN OR
OTHERWISE CONCEAL UNEXPECTEDLY
HEAVY PERIODS DURING
PERIMENOPAUSE SUPERVISORS HAVE
ASKED. HOW IS THE HOT FLASH
QUEEN DOING TODAY? EMPLOYERS
HAVE PREVENTED UNIFORM
MODIFICATIONS THAT WOULD ALLOW
WOMEN TO WEAR DARKER CLOTHES
THAT COULD HIDE MENSTRUAL LEAKS
OR STAINS FROM HEAVY SWEATING
AND EASE THEIR ANXIETY, AND
THEY'VE BEEN DENIED BATHROOM
BREAKS THAT CAUSE WORKERS TO BE
SUBJECTED TO HARASSMENT, SHAME
AND OTHER INDIGNITIES WHEN THEY
SOAKED THEIR CLOTHES WITH URINE,
MENSES OR SWEAT. FURTHER PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN LEFT WITHOUT PRIVACY
IN A MYRIAD OF WAYS, INCLUDING
BY BEING ASKED ABOUT THE DATE OF
THEIR LAST MENSTRUAL CYCLE.
THESE EXPERIENCES, WHICH WERE
ALL TAKEN FROM EXISTING CASE LAW
DEMONSTRATE WHAT THOSE WHO HAVE
HAD EVEN BASIC MENSTRUAL
EDUCATION NOW. PERIODS DON'T
STOP AT WORK, NOR NEEDS OR
WORKPLACE HARASSMENT STOP WHEN
PERIODS DUE FOR WORKERS IN
MENOPAUSE. AND THEY DON'T GO
AWAY IF WE PRETEND THEY DON'T
EXIST, OR IF A NON MENSTRUATING
BOSS HAS NOT THOUGHT ABOUT THE
FACT THAT MANAGING MENSTRUAL
CONCEALMENT WHAT IS CURRENTLY
REQUIRED AT MOST WORKPLACES, SO
PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'RE
BLEEDING OR AGING OR HAVE OTHER
SYMPTOMS THAT DEMONSTRATE THAT
SOME WORKERS BODIES DON'T MEET
THE MALE IDEAL WAR, UH, NORM
THAT SOMETIMES COSTS MONEY OR
REQUIRES ACCESS TO SUPPORTIVE
SPACES AND TIME OFF FROM WORK TO
ADDRESS THEM WITHOUT ACCESS TO
THOSE SPACES AND THINGS LIKE
SCHEDULE MODIFICATIONS TO USE
THEM. CURRENT AND FORMER
MENSTRUATES EXPERIENCE
PRESENTEEISM AND ABSENTEEISM AND
MAYBE PUSHED OUT OF THE WORK
SITE AND THE RATES AT WHICH THEY
ARE GETTING KICKED OUT. THEY OF
COURSE, MANY WORKERS BOTH ACROSS
THE POND, AND HERE HAVE NÓ
PROBLEM ADDRESSING THIS
BIOLOGICAL REALITY IN A WAY THAT
OFFERS BODILY AUTONOMY, THEY
HAVE ACCESS TO STRUCTURES,
POLICIES AND INCOME THAT ALLOW
THINGS LIKE TIMELY AND SAFE
APPLICATION AND DISPOSAL OF
MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS, WHERE THE
ABILITY TO CONTROL THE
TEMPERATURE OF ONE'S WORK
LOCATION, FOR EXAMPLE, AND
COLLECTIVE ACTION HAS HELPED
HERE TOO. BUT AS THIS HEARING
HAS DEMONSTRATED, THERE IS A
GROWING RECOGNITION THAT THAT IS
NOT EVERYONE'S REALITY. WHICH
BRINGS ME TO MY SECOND POINT.
THERE IS A ROLE FOR LAW TO PLAY
IN CHANGING THIS NORM. THE LAW
SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE BOTH
MENOPAUSE AND MENSTRUATION AT
WORK AND HELP INCREASE ACCESS TO
PROTECTIONS THAT ADDRESS A RANGE
OF LIVED EXPERIENCES WITH A
MENSTRUAL CYCLE AND ITS
CESSATION. IT'S GREAT THAT AN
INCREASING NUMBER OF BUSINESSES
LIKE JED TECH AND OTHERS ARE
STEPPING UP IN THIS SPACE. BUT
WHAT MY RESEARCH SHOWS IS THAT
IT DOESN'T NEGATE THE NEED FOR
LEGAL PROTECTIONS OR THE
CRITICAL ROLE THAT LAW CAN PLAY.
CURRENTLY AN EXISTING PATCHWORK
OF LEGAL PROTECTIONS DOES OFFER
SOME RELIEF. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE
ARE LAWS THAT OFFER BREAK TIME
OR OTHER TIME OFF FROM WORK THAT
CAN BE USED FOR PERIOD PURPOSES
FOR SOME WORKERS. EMPLOYERS ALSO
MIGHT BE REQUIRED TO ENGAGE IN
AN INTERACTIVE PROCESS AND
PROVIDE POLICY AND OTHER
MODIFICATIONS UNDER THE NEW
FEDERAL PREGNANT WORKERS
FAIRNESS ACT OR ACCOMMODATIONS
FOR MENSTRUATION, OR MENOPAUSE
RELATED DISABILITIES UNDER
FEDERAL AND STATE DISABILITY
LAWS. OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND
HEALTH REQUIRES EMPLOYERS TO
OFFER REGULAR ACCESS TO TOILETS,
RUNNING WATER AND WASTE DISPOSAL
ALL TOOLS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR
HEALTHY MANAGEMENT OF THIS
PROCESS. ALSO LIKE THE U Kò IS A
QUALITY ACT. WE HAVE FEDERAL AND
STATE LAWS THAT PROTECT WORKERS
FROM DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS
OF SEX, GENDER, IDENTITY, RACE,
AGE AND DISABILITY CATEGORIES
THAT INTERSECT WITH THE
MENSTRUAL CYCLE AND MAY PROTECT
SOME WORKERS. UNFORTUNATELY THE
WORDS MENSTRUATION AND MENOPAUSE
ARE NOT FOUND IN THE TEXT OF ANY
OF THOSE LAWS THAT I'M
REFERENCING EVEN IF CASES,
GUIDANCE AND STATUTORY
INTERPRETATION PRINCIPLES
DEMONSTRATE THEIR APPLICATION.
AS A RESULT, THERE'S CONFUSION
ABOUT WHETHER AND WHEN THEY
APPLY. ENFORCEMENT IS ALSO WEAK,
AND THERE ARE GAPS IN COVERAGE
WHERE SOME NEEDS HAVE GONE UNMET
AND SOME WORKERS HAVE BEEN
HARMED, AND EMPLOYERS HAVE LOST
QUALITY EXPERIENCED WORKERS. AS
A RESULT, WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY
LAST POINT. YOU HAVE THE POWER
TO FIX THIS. YOU CAN CLARIFY AND
EXPAND EXISTING ACCOMMODATION
AND DISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS
BY STATUTE, ANALYSIS OF
EXPERIENCES ACROSS THE POND AND
ALSO HERE IN THE STATES,
INCLUDING SOME CASES IN
CALIFORNIA DEMONSTRATE THAT WE
NEED TO GO BEYOND RELYING ON
VOLUNTARY EMPLOYER. AND
INTERPRETIVE GUIDANCE TO CREATE
THOSE SPECIFIC PROTECTIONS THAT
USE THESE WORDS. IT PROVIDES
MUCH NEEDED CLARITY AND WOULD
PREVENT EASY CHANGES OR THE, UM
EXCLUSION OF MARGINALIZED
WORKERS. WORKERS WHO ARE
OTHERWISE. UM UH, LEFT OUT OF
THE CONVERSATION AS YOU HEARD
WHEN WE DISCUSS WE ALSO NEED AN
INVESTMENT IN MENSTRUAL AND
MENOPAUSE EDUCATION RESOURCES,
INCLUDING AT OUR WORKPLACES THAT
TRAIN MANAGERS, COLLEAGUES AND
ALL WORKERS ABOUT THE BOOTH, THE
BIOLOGICAL REALITIES OF HOW THE
MENSTRUAL CYCLE AND RELATED
CONDITIONS MAY IMPACT WORK AND
THE LEGAL PROTECTIONS THAT
ADDRESS THOSE NEED. AND
ERADICATE RELATED HARMS. DOING
SO WILL HELP CALIFORNIA JOIN THE
U, Kò AND OTHER LEADERS OF
MENSTRUAL AND MENOPAUSAL JUSTICE
, AND NAOMI RIGHTLY POINTED OUT,
STAY A LEADER OF REPRODUCTIVE
JUSTICE AND ALSO WILL HELP
WORKERS UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE OF
THEIR RIGHTS RELATED TO
DIGNIFIED MENSTRUATION AND
MENOPAUSE AND HELPING EMPLOYERS
KNOW ABOUT THE POTENTIAL LEGAL
LIABILITY IF THEY FAIL TO
ACKNOWLEDGE PERIODS, HOT FLASHES
AND OTHER A MOTOR SYMPTOMS THAT
HAPPEN AT WORK, MENSTRUATION AND
MENOPAUSE NEED NOT BE DIRTY
WORDS OR USED ONLY IN SLANG
TERMS AND DEROGATORY WAYS THAT
BULLY OR HARASS COLLEAGUES.
WORKERS SHOULDN'T BE FORCED TO
CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR ECONOMIC
SECURITY OR MENSTRUAL AND
MENOPAUSAL HEALTH, BODILY
DIGNITY AND AUTONOMY. THE LAW
CAN CHANGE THIS REALITY AND
SUPPORT WORKERS AND BUSINESSES
IN THE PROCESS AND YOU CAN HELP
THEM DO THAT. SO THANK YOU AGAIN
FOR INVITING ME TO TESTIFY AND
FOR HELPING TO BRING THESE
TOPICS OUT OF THE SHADOWS TO
REMOVE RELATED SHAME AND ANXIETY
IN WAYS THAT CAN RECALIBRATE
CALIFORNIA'S WORKPLACES TO
ENSURE THAT WE DON'T FURTHER
MARGINALIZE HARM OR OTHERWISE
OVERLOOK THE NEEDS OF WORKERS
WHO MENSTRUATE OR WHO ARE IN
PERIMENOPAUSE OR MENOPAUSE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I THINK THAT
WAS A GREAT SORT OF WRAP UP. I
DON'T KNOW. DO YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS? WELL,
BRADLEY OR CURRY I JUST WISH I
WOULD HAVE ALL KNOWN ALL THIS 40
YEARS AGO. WE'RE GETTING THERE.
YOUR DAUGHTERS WILL APPRECIATE
IT. UM, YEAH, MR ROVE. UH,
KAREN. I HAD A QUESTION FOR YOU,
UM. SO ONE OF THE YOU KNOW I
BEFORE I WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE,
I, UH, RAN AN L GB Tð Q PLUS, UM
, CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION, AND
I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN TALK A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DYNAMIC OF
THE TENSION BETWEEN, UM.
SPECIFYING THINGS SPECIFICALLY
IN LAW AND. UM AND THEN THE
IMPACT ON UH ON MAKING ARGUMENTS
AND BROADER AND BROADER LE, YOU
KNOW, BASED ON BROADER LEGAL
THEORIES THAT I WOULD ASSUME
THAT SOME OF THE THINGS ARE
ALREADY COVERED UNDER EXISTING
CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS. AND SO YOU
KNOW, OBVIOUSLY. UM WE ALWAYS
WERE VERY NERVOUS ABOUT COMING
IN AND ADDING SPECIFIC
PROTECTIONS IN WEDDING AREA
BECAUSE THEN IT IMPLIED THAT WE
DIDN'T HAVE THOSE PROTECTIONS IN
EXISTING LAW IN OTHER AREAS
WHERE WE'RE ARGUING FOR THAT, SO
I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU
COULD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT. SURE
I'D BE HAPPY TO AND THANK YOU
FOR THE QUESTION. UM IT'S AN
IMPORTANT ONE RIGHT? BECAUSE
IT'S A QUESTION OF HOW DO WE
TREAT THE RANGE OF LIVED
EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE,
UM EXPERIENCING MENSTRUATION,
PERIMENOPAUSE AND MENOPAUSE, AND
THERE ARE SOME EXISTING CASES
RIGHT, INCLUDING AN ANTI
DISCRIMINATION PROTECTION, WHICH
ALSO OFFER PROTECTIONS FOR THE L
GB Tð Q COMMUNITY. UM, BUT WHAT
THE CASE IS, UM DEMONSTRATE IS
THAT IT'S NOT ALWAYS CLEAR THAT
PEOPLE GET THESE PROTECTIONS
NOW. IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL RIGHT
IF THERE WERE DESIGN WHERE EVERY
WORKER CAN HAVE WHATEVER
STRUCTURE IN PLACE THEY NEED AND
WANT IN ORDER TO CARE FOR THEIR
OWN BODIES, AND I HOPE WE ARE
MOVING TOWARDS SOME UNIVERSAL
APPLICATION AND PROTECTIONS IN
CALIFORNIA HAS OFTEN LED THE WAY
IN TERMS OF PROGRESSIVE POLICIES
THAT SUPPORT WORKERS. BUT WHAT
THE CASE IS DEMONSTRATE IS THAT
IF WE DON'T USE, UM I IF WE
DON'T SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT
MENSTRUATION, PERIMENOPAUSE AND
MENOPAUSE, PEOPLE DON'T
RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S A FORM OF
SEX DISCRIMINATION IF PEOPLE ARE
HARASSED ON THE BASIS OF THEIR
PERIODS. UM THE CASES HAVE
DEMONSTRATED THAT IF PEOPLE
AREN'T, UM, AWARE OF THE NEED
FOR A BATHROOM BREAK, THEY ARE
SOMETIMES DENIED RIGHT, EVEN IN
JURISDICTIONS THAT REQUIRE
BATHROOM BREAKS. AT TIMES, ONE
EVERY FOUR HOURS ISN'T GONNA CUT
IT FOR SOMEONE WHO IS
EXPERIENCING UNEXPECTEDLY HEAVY
BLEEDING OR WHO NEED THE MINUTE
RIGHT TO TAKE A SECOND TO, UM,
CENTER, THEIR BRAIN. UM UH,
AFTER THEY'RE HAVING, UH OR
EXPERIENCING FOG AND SO
SOMETIMES SPECIFIC PROTECTIONS
ARE NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE RANGE
OF WHAT PEOPLE'S, UM EXPERIENCES
ARE AND FOR THOSE REASONS, IT'S
IMPORTANT TO ACTUALLY USE THE
WORDS AND CREATE PROTECTIONS, SO
THERE'S NÓ DOUBT. RIGHT THAT THE
MENSTRUAL CYCLE IMPACTS PEOPLE
AT WORK, AND SOMETIMES THERE ARE
NEEDED MODIFICATIONS TO EXISTING
STRUCTURES. AS A RESULT OF THAT.
THANK YOU. YEAH THANK YOU. THAT
WAS SUPER HELPFUL. UM I WANNA
TURN BACK TO MISS BERNIE SCOTT,
WHO SPOKE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW
MU PAYING ATTENTION TO SORT OF
THE BROAD ARRAY OF WORKERS IN
OUR WORKFORCE FROM HOURLY
WORKERS TO MINIMUM WAGE WORKERS.
AND THE LIKE, AND I WANTED TO
GIVE YOU A MOMENT TO SORT OF
HIGHLIGHT HOW MENOPAUSE SHOWS UP
IN THAT WORKFORCE IN WAYS THAT
WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF, AND PAY
ATTENTION TO CERTAINLY, YOU
KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IS MY
OWN EXPERIENCE AS A AS A POST
MENOPAUSAL PERSON, YOU KNOW,
I'VE ONLY WORKED IN THE SOCIAL
JUSTICE NONPROFIT SECTOR. UM SO
I DON'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCES OF
WORKING IN CORPORATE AMERICA. UM
BUT I DO KNOW MANY AFRICAN
AMERICAN WOMEN WHO ARE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTORS OF NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE FRONT LINE
ORGANIZERS, WHO ARE CULTURAL
ORGANIZERS. AND WHEN WE GET TO
THIS MENOPAUSAL PLACE IT'S HARD
FOR PEOPLE TO BE HONEST ABOUT
WHERE THEY ARE. UM WE ARE MUCH
WE THEY ARE MUCH MORE
ACCOMMODATING MUCH MORE
ACCOMMODATIONS MADE FOR YOUNGER
PEOPLE OR FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY BE
PREGNANT OR BIRTHING. BUT AS WE
GET OLDER TO BE ABLE TO SAY TO
YOUR COWORKERS OR YOUR
COLLEAGUES. UM I'M HAVING A HOT
FLASH OR I'M EXPERIENCING BRAIN
FOG OR I'M I'M I'M HAVING AN
ISSUE AND I NEED TO WORK
REMOTELY OR I NEED FOR YOU TO
TAKE A PICK UP THE SLACK ON THIS
PARTICULAR ISSUE OR THIS
CAMPAIGN OR THIS ADVOCACY WORK
THAT WE'RE DOING IS NOT
SOMETHING THAT WE DO, AND SO
WHAT WE SEE IN IN PARTICULAR IN
THE NONPROFIT SECTOR, I'M
SPEAKING ABOUT WHAT I HAVE
EXPERIENCED. UM, IS THAT PEOPLE
EAT THAT INFORMATION WE DON'T
SHARE IT. AND SO THEN WHAT WE
SEE IS TOXIC WORKPLACES WHERE,
UM PEOPLE ARE NOT TREATING EACH
OTHER. WELL UM PEOPLE ARE HAVING
A LOT OF HEALTH ISSUES THAT ARE
NOT BEING DISCUSSED, UM, WITH
THEIR SUPERVISORS OR THEIR
TEAMMATES, AND THEN ULTIMATELY
WE SEE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING
PUSHED OUT OF ORGANIZATIONS OR
END UP HAVING TO LEAVE BECAUSE
THEIR BODIES ARE BREAKING DOWN.
UM I KNOW WAY TOO MANY BLACK
WOMEN IN PARTICULAR BLACK WOMEN
IN THE SOUTH WHO ARE DOING
VOTING RIGHTS, REPRODUCTIVE
JUSTICE WORK WORKERS' RIGHTS WHO
HAVE DIABETES, CARDIOVASCULAR
DISEASE, DEPRESSION AND OUR
DYING YOUNG. UM I WAS RECENTLY
THINKING ABOUT A VERY DIFFERENT
THAT I HAD WHO DID WORKERS'
RIGHTS FOR OVER 40 YEARS AND SHE
DIDN'T MAKE 60. SO IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONSIDER.
NOT ONLY, UM WHAT THIS MEANS FOR
THE ORGANIZATION BECAUSE SO MUCH
OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. IN
TERMS OF WORKPLACE POLICY, IT'S
FOCUSED ON PRODUCT. HOW CAN WE?
HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT WE
HAVE A WORKPLACE WHERE ALL OF
OUR WORKERS CAN BE AS PRODUCTIVE
AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN BE. I
ACTUALLY WANT TO THINK ABOUT HOW
CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE
WORKPLACES WHERE THE WORKERS ARE
TREATED SO WELL THAT THEY'RE
ABLE TO SUSTAIN THEIR WORK. TAKE
CARE OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR
FAMILIES. THAT'S KIND OF HOW I'M
FRAMING IT, SO I'M IT'S NOT MY
OPINION, NECESSARILY, OR MY
FOCUS TO THINK ABOUT. HOW CAN I
BE MORE PRODUCTIVE SO I CAN MEET
? UM A BENCHMARK OR HOW CAN I BE
MORE PRODUCTIVE? SO THAT WAY I
CAN HELP US SELL MORE THINGS I'M
THINKING ABOUT HOW CAN WORKERS
BE PROTECTED? BE A PROTECTED
CLASS BE SUPPORTED SO THEY CAN
TAKE CARE OF THEIR FAMILIES SO
WE CAN DISRUPT CYCLES OF POVERTY
INSIDE A MARGINALIZED
COMMUNITIES. WE'RE NOT TALKING
ABOUT PEOPLE WHO WORK AT
WALMART, OR TARGET OR MCDONALD'S
OR BURGER KING. WE'RE NOT
TALKING ABOUT DOMESTIC WORKERS,
AND IT'S BEEN SO MUCH WORK DONE
TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF
DOMESTIC WORKERS. I CAN'T
IMAGINE BEING AT A DOMESTIC
WORKER AND BEING MENOPAUSAL. I
CAN'T IMAGINE BEING A èC N A
OR A HOME HEALTH AIDE AND BEING
MENOPAUSAL, SO I THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR US TO EXPAND OUT
AND THINK ABOUT THE FULL LABOR
MOVEMENT THINKING ABOUT WORKERS
RIGHTS THINKING ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN WORKERS AGE AND HOW
THEY ARE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF
THEMSELVES FINANCIALLY AND ALL
OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES. THAT
STATISTIC THAT I GAVE YOU ALL
ABOUT 57% OF WORKING WOMEN
HAVING MORE THAN ONE JOB IS
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. WE'RE
HAVING MORE PEOPLE HAVE MORE
THAN ONE JOB BECAUSE THEY ARE
SANDWICHED IN BETWEEN TAKING
CARE OF THEIR CHILDREN AND
TAKING CARE OF THEIR FAMILY
MEMBERS OR TAKING CARE OF AGING
PARENTS AND CERTAINLY IF YOU'RE
THINKING ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO'S
CHRONOLOGICALLY EXPERIENCING
MENOPAUSE, AND THAT TO 50 RANGE.
YOU CERTAINLY WOULD BE IN THAT
SANDWICH KIND OF GENERATION
WHERE YOU HAVE CHILDREN IN THE
HOME OR YOU MAY BE CARETAKING
TWO DIFFERENT GENERATIONS OF
PEOPLE AND NOT TAKING CARE OF
YOURSELF. AND IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE
TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR BILLS, PAY
YOUR MORTGAGE. PAY YOUR CAR NOTE
. PAY YOUR CELL PHONE BILL
YOU'RE AT YOU'RE AT A LOSS AND
THAT THAT AMOUNT OF STRESS IS
ONLY GONNA MAKE YOUR MENOPAUSE
SYMPTOMS WORSE. THANK YOU. AND
SO I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT CAME OUT OF THE LAST
HEARING THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT FROM OUR POLICY
PERSPECTIVE. WE'RE DEFINITELY
YOU KNOW. LOOKING AT THE
QUESTION OF HOW CALIFORNIA IS
SPENDING OUR RESEARCH DOLLARS.
HOW WE'RE TRAINING OUR OWN
PHYSICIANS AT OUR MEDICAL
INSTITUTIONS AS IT RELATES TO
MENOPAUSE, UM, IN DIVERSE
COMMUNITIES, HOW OUR RESEARCH IS
SPENT ON MENOPAUSE GENERALLY,
BUT ALSO FOR OUR DIVERSE
COMMUNITIES. UM, WE'RE LOOKING
AT THE QUESTION OF, UM YOU KNOW,
INSURANCE COVERAGE, AND I HAVE A
QUESTION FOR YOU ON THAT MAKING
SURE THAT OUR MARGINALIZED
COMMUNITIES FOR WHOM COST AS WE
HEARD FROM OUR COLLEAGUE IN THE
U Kò, UM, YOU KNOW, CAN BE A
REAL ISSUE TO GETTING THE CARE
YOU NEED. UM, SO THAT'S SOME OF
WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, BUT I
JUST WANTED TO PUT TO YOU THE
QUESTION AS AN ADVOCATE. YOU
KNOW WHAT WOULD YOUR TOP
PRIORITIES BE FOR US FROM A
POLICY PERSPECTIVE? THAT'S A
GREAT QUESTION. I DEFINITELY
WOULD LOVE FOR CALIFORNIA AS
CALIFORNIA HAS DONE SO MANY
TIMES BEFORE TO, UM, LEAD THE
CHARGE IN, UM CREATING EQUITABLE
SAFE WORKPLACES FOR ALL
EMPLOYEES ACROSS AGE SPECTRUMS
AND ACROSS GENDER IDENTITIES. I
THINK THAT'S REALLY, UM UM AN
IMPORTANT THING TO CONSIDER.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ALL
WORKERS TO BE PROTECTED? NÓ
MATTER HOW OLD THEY ARE NÓ
MATTER IF THEY'RE PREGNANT OR
BIRTHING NÓ MATTER IF THEY'RE
AGING NÓ MATTER IF THEY'RE
MENOPAUSAL. AND I THINK THAT
THAT'S A HUGE ISSUE THAT, UM,
LEADS TO, UM OTHER ISSUES
RELATED TO POVERTY. PEOPLE WHO
ARE FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE WHO ARE
HOUSING. INSECURE LIKE ALL OF
THAT IS CONNECTED TO YOUR
ABILITY TO HAVE SUSTAINABLE WORK
. SO I THINK THAT THE WORKPLACE
POLICY ISSUE FEELS NOT JUST
ABOUT, UM, BEING ABLE TO HAVE
ACCESS TO, UM, A GOOD WORK SPACE
WHERE IT'S COOL. YOU CAN GET TO
THE BATHROOM. YOU CAN HAVE
BREAKS. THOSE THINGS ARE REALLY
IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO TRYING TO
MINI MINIMIZE. THE DISRUPTION OF
WORK THAT A PERSON MIGHT
EXPERIENCE AND TO PUT
PROTECTIONS IN PLACE SO THAT
PEOPLE ARE ARE NOT PUSHED OUT OF
WORK OR FIRED. YOU KNOW WHAT I
MEAN? SO I THINK THAT'S A REALLY
IMPORTANT THING. THE TRAINING
CANNOT BE REEMPHASIZED ENOUGH.
THERE'S SUCH A DEARTH OF
TRAINING THAT MEDICAL STUDENTS
RECEIVE. I'VE DONE REPRODUCTIVE
JUSTICE, ONE ON ONE TRAINING FOR
MEDICAL STUDENTS HERE IN DURHAM
NORTH, WHO ARE STUDENTS AT DUKE
UNIVERSITY, THE LACK OF
INFORMATION THAT MEDICAL
STUDENTS HAVE ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE
JUSTICE, GENERALLY SPEAKING
MENOPAUSE, SPECIFICALLY SPEAKING
IS SCARY. UM, THE, UM
STEREOTYPES THAT STILL ARE IN
PLACE AROUND THE WAY THAT PEOPLE
OF COLOR SPECIFICALLY BLACK
PEOPLE EXPERIENCE PAIN. IT
PERSISTS. IT IS SCARY. AND THEN
ONCE YOU ARE OUT OF MEDICAL
SCHOOL, AND YOU ARE A PRACTICING
Ó BGY N NURSE PRACTITIONER, UH
, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT, UM THE
LACK OF CULTURAL COMPETENCY TO
BE ABLE TO PROVIDE INCLUSIVE
CARE. FOR ALL OF YOUR PATIENTS
IS SCARY. AND SO PEOPLE ARE
MISGENDER QUITE OFTEN. UM, THERE
IS A WAY IN WHICH, IF YOU ARE A
BLACK PERSON WHO IS ALSO GENDER
QUEER WHO IS ALSO TRANS, UM,
THERE WAS A STUDY DONE IN 2017
THAT TALKED ABOUT THE ABYSMAL
EXPERIENCES THAT PEOPLE HAVE
WITH THEIR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS,
UM, BEING ABLE TO ACCESS QUALITY
HEALTH CARE NOT BEING MISGENDER
NOT BEING TREATED POORLY, NOT
EXPERIENCING, UM, REALLY
DISRESPECTFUL AND HARMFUL
EXCHANGES WITH THEIR PRIMARY
CARE OR Ó BGY N THAT LED THEM
TO DECIDE. I'M NOT GONNA GO SEE
THIS PHYSICIAN ANYMORE. WHICH
MEANS THAT THEY THEY'RE THERE
ARE GAPS IN THEIR CARE. SOME
PEOPLE CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS FOR
THEM IF THEY HAVE PRE EXISTING
CONDITIONS OR THEIR THEIR
EXPERIENCING A CONDITION THAT
THEY'RE SEEKING HELP FOR, BUT
BECAUSE THEY'RE TREATED SO
POORLY. THEY DECIDE. I'M NOT
GONNA CONTINUE TO GO WITH THIS
PERSON. I'M JUST GONNA TOUGH IT
OUT. SO I DO THINK THAT
PREPARATION PROVIDED
PREPAREDNESS IS A CRITICAL
ISSUE. AND THEN, OF COURSE, UM
WE NEED SO MUCH SUPPORT AND HELP
RELATED TO HEALTHCARE. RIGHT UM,
INSURANCE, MEDICAID EXPANSION
AND HOW, UM HÌ, R, Tð AND OTHER,
UM, SUPPORTS CAN BE IN PLACE FOR
MENOPAUSAL PEOPLE AND THE
OPTIONS LIKE TO HAVE OPTIONS OF
SUPPORT. MEDICAL CARE, UM,
MEDICINE THAT CAN SUPPORT YOU
THROUGH YOUR MENOPAUSE JOURNEY,
UM, WITHOUT IT, HAVING ANY
EXORBITANT COST. SO AGAIN, IF
IT'S IF THE COST IS TOO HIGH,
AND CONS IS TOO HIGH. I I'M A
DOMESTIC WORKER. WHAT AM I GONNA
DO? I'M GONNA TOUGH IT OUT. AND
THAT TOUGHING IT OUT, MIGHT LEAD
TO DIRECT, UM, HEALTH IMPACT OR
IN OUTCOMES FOR ME. THANK YOU.
ONE OF OUR WITNESSES AT OUR LAST
HEARING, SAID, DON'T SETTLE FOR
FANS IN THE WORKPLACE, WHICH I
THINK WAS YOUR MESSAGE. WE HAVE
WISE WOLF BECAUSE AS SHE'S WE,
SHE AND I ARE REALLY GOOD
FRIENDS AND I'M LIKE IT WAS I'M
GONNA CLOSE ON THAT BECAUSE IT'S
SO IMPORTANT. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE
SAY OH, WE SHOULD JUST HAVE LIKE
COOLING SPACES. YES, YOU SHOULD.
AND I WANT TO BE AS A 56 YEAR
OLD IF I DIDN'T WORK FOR MYSELF
IF I WASN'T DOING THE BLACK
GIRLS GUY, JUST SURVIVING
MENOPAUSE AND I WAS BACK WORKING
IN INSIDE OF A REPRODUCTIVE
JUSTICE ORGANIZATION, I WOULD
WANT PROTECTIONS AS A POST
MENOPAUSAL PERSON WHO IS THE
HEAD OF MY HOUSEHOLD AS A
DIVORCED PERSON WHO HAS ONE
CHILD WHO'S GONE TO COLLEGE AND
ONE CHILD WHO'S ON HIS WAY TO
COLLEGE. I NEED THOSE
PROTECTIONS. DO I NEED A FAN?
SURE BUT THOSE PROTECTIONS ARE
MORE IMPORTANT THAN A THING
BECAUSE I HAVE A MORTGAGE. YEAH,
THANK YOU. I YOU KNOW, AS YOU
WERE SPEAKING ABOUT TRAINING IT
BROUGHT TO MIND ONE OF MY
LEGISLATIVE HEROES. UM NOW
SUPERVISOR HOLLY MITCHELL, WHO
LED THE EFFORT HERE IN
CALIFORNIA TO TRAIN PHYSICIANS.
UM ON ANTI BIAS AROUND MATERNAL
MORTALITY. UM AND WE PASSED THAT
LAW THAT PHYSICIANS HAVE TO BE
TRAINED ON THAT AND SO TO YOUR
POINT, THERE'S SO MUCH WE CAN
LEARN FROM THE PROTECTIONS WE
ARE PROVIDING HERE IN CALIFORNIA
AROUND PREGNANCY AND BIRTHING
THAT SHOULD EXPAND TO THIS
SPACE. UM AND SHE REALLY PUSH
CALIFORNIA FORWARD IN THAT WAY.
WE NEED TO EXPAND THAT. SO I
THINK THAT'S A POINT. WELL TAKEN
AND THEN ON THE INSURANCE PIECE,
UM I WILL BE CARRYING A BILL TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING
CARE FOR EVERYONE IN THIS SPACE
BECAUSE IT'S SO IMPORTANT, SO I
REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT.
AND I WANTED TO NOW GO, UM TO
MISS MORIMOTO ON THE QUESTION OF
INSURANCE BECAUSE YOU SAID THAT
YOU AFTER THIS FIRESIDE CHAT,
AND I LOVE THAT IT WAS WOMEN
SITTING AROUND, UM TALKING ABOUT
IT BECAUSE I THINK WE ARE
STARTING TO TALK ABOUT IT, AND I
ACTUALLY THINK IT IS THAT IS
WHAT IS CHANGING THE
CONVERSATION IS WOMEN ARE
WILLING TO RAISE THEIR VOICES
AND TALK ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE
THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US IS
GOING THROUGH, ALTHOUGH, UM, TO
MISS BERNIE SCOTT'S POINT, NÓ
TWO EXPERIENCES ARE THE SAME.
BUT WE ARE HAVING A EXPERIENCE
AN EXPERIENCE OF OUR OWN. UM
WHAT SO AND WE ARE, YOU KNOW, AS
PART OF THE EFFORT TO MAKE SURE
THIS IS COVERED. WE'RE LOOKING
FORWARD TO SEEING THE ANALYSIS
OF WHAT IS COVERED AND THE SENSE
I GET FROM TALKING TO MY PEERS
IS THAT IT'S SORT OF ALL OVER
THE MAP. WHAT IS COVERED, AND,
UM SO AS YOU WENT TO MAKE SURE
THAT, UH, MENOPAUSAL TREATMENTS
WERE COVERED EQUALLY TO OTHER
CARE FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES. HOW DID
YOU DO THAT? WHAT WAS THAT
CONVERSATION? THANK YOU. GREAT
QUESTION. UH, WE ACTUALLY WORKED
WITH, UM, OUR HEALTH PLAN AND
OUR PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGER TO
ENSURE THAT WOMEN'S TREATMENTS
FOR MENOPAUSE WERE COVERED THE
SAME AS ANY OTHER MEDICAL CARE
OR PHARMACY BENEFITS WOULD BE SO
NÓ ADDITIONAL COST. UM BUT
THINGS LIKE A HIGH DEDUCTIBLE.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE YOU HAVE TO
ACTUALLY MEET YOUR DEDUCTIBLE
AND THEN THE COINSURANCE KICKS
IN, SO WE WERE ABLE TO ENSURE
THAT, UM, IS COVERED AS ANY, UH,
ANY OTHER BENEFIT WOULD BE ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO
OFFER AT OUR ORGANIZATION IS
VERY EXPANSIVE MENTAL HEALTH
CARE, SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE UP TO
25 MENTAL HEALTH. SESSIONS FREE
SORT OF A MUCH MORE EXPANDED EAP
. SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT SOMEONE
WHO THROUGH ANY TYPE OF CHRONIC
HEALTH CONDITION, WHICH I WOULD
DEFINE 67 YEARS IS FAIRLY
CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITION. THOSE
ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS WE'VE
BEEN ABLE TO DO. UM I THINK YOU
KNOW IT'S INTERESTING WHEN YOU
LOOK AT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
OPPORTUNITIES IF I IF I MAY
OFFER A COUPLE, PLEASE. UM I
THINK THE HEALTH PLANS HAVE A
HUGE ROLE. IN SHARING
INFORMATION. I HAVE YET TO MEET
A WOMAN WHOSE PRIMARY CARE
PHYSICIAN OR Ó, BGY N,
PROACTIVELY SHARED WITH THEM
WHAT THEY MIGHT ANTICIPATE IN
TERMS OF SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENTS
AVAILABLE. TYPICALLY IT'S WOMEN
WHO ARE THEN HAVING TO SEEK OUT
YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT I'M
EXPERIENCING. WHAT ARE MY
OPTIONS, SO I THINK THERE'S A
HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE HEALTH
PLANS. AND THAT REALLY ENSURES
THAT YOU'RE GETTING NOT JUST WHO
ARE THE EMPLOYERS WHO ARE ABLE
TO PROVIDE THESE TYPE OF
BENEFITS, BUT FOR STAY AT HOME
MOM FOR SOMEONE WHO WORKS
INDEPENDENTLY AND IS COVERED
UNDER COVER COVERED CALIFORNIA
THOSE ARE SOME DIFFERENT AVENUES
TO REALLY INCREASE AWARENESS.
AND I AGREE WITH YOU IN THE 32
YEARS I'VE WORKED IN BENEFITS.
IT'S ONLY BEEN THE LAST COUPLE
THAT WE'VE EVEN DISCUSS THE
TOPIC OF MENOPAUSE. SO I LIKEN
IT TO MENTAL HEALTH WHERE IF WE
CAN REALLY NORMALIZE AND REDUCE
THE STIGMA AND OPEN THE
CONVERSATION, THEN I THINK WE
CAN ENSURE THAT WOMEN ARE ARE
SEEKING TREATMENT SOONER.
THEY'RE GETTING MORE ACCURATE
DIAGNOSIS, THEN THE LAST PIECE
IS REALLY ENSURING THAT WHEN
THEY NEED SOME TYPE OF CARE
CONSULTATION, THEY HAVE ACCESS
TO THOSE CLINICAL RESOURCES.
YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM AND
THEN I WANTED TO GO BACK TO
PROFESSOR KAREN, WHO I'M HOPING
IS STILL MINE. BE THERE? YES,
PERFECT. OK SO I WANTED TO ASK
YOU THE SAME QUESTION THAT I
ASKED MISS BERNIE SCOTT. UM AT
THE END, WHICH IS YOU KNOW,
WHERE SHOULD WE BE LOOKING FIRST
? FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE. YOU
KNOW, IF YOU HAD YOUR MAGIC WAND
TO MAKE CALIFORNIA MOVE FORWARD,
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR YOUR DREAM?
BE? YEAH UM, USE THE WORDS,
MENSTRUATION, PERIMENOPAUSE,
MENOPAUSE AND RELATED CONDITIONS
AND TO, UM CLEARLY OFFER
ACCOMMODATIONS AND ANTI
DISCRIMINATION PROTECTION FOR
THOSE PURPOSES AND FOR PEOPLE
WHO EXPERIENCE THE MENSTRUAL
CYCLE AND ITS CESSATION. I COULD
STOP THERE RIGHT? THAT WOULD
HUGELY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN
TERMS OF PEOPLE'S LIVED
EXPERIENCES AND A RANGE OF
PEOPLE'S LIVED EXPERIENCES. YOU
ALSO WOULD REQUIRE TRAINING, UM
OF EMPLOYERS. UM OR FOR
EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE TRAINING,
UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE BIOLOGY
OF THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE, AND
THOSE EXISTING PROTECTIONS OR
NEW PROTECTIONS AND HOW THEY
APPLY TO, UM PEOPLE WHO
EXPERIENCE THE MENSTRUAL PROCESS
. UM AND ITS CESSATION, UM AND
YOU CAN INCREASE ENFORCEMENT OF
EXISTING PROTECTIONS IN THE
MEANTIME AND ENSURE THAT THE UM
STATE LAWS ARE WHENEVER POSSIBLE
, ENSURING THAT, UM, THINGS LIKE
MENSTRUATION RELATED
DISABILITIES MENOPAUSE. RELATED
DISABILITIES ARE COVERED THAT,
UM, ACCOMMODATIONS THAT ARE
AVAILABLE FOR PREGNANCY. UM
CHILDBIRTH AND RELATED MEDICAL
CONDITIONS ARE BEING INTERPRETED
CLEARLY RIGHT TO COVER THINGS
LIKE, UM, MENOPAUSE AND
PERIMENOPAUSE, AND YOU CAN
ENSURE THAT SAFETY LAWS THAT, UM
OFFER BATHROOMS AS WELL AS BREAK
TIME. AND UM OTHER THINGS LIKE
S¼ CLEVE ARE BEING INTERPRETED
IN A WAY THAT COVERS THESE, UM,
NEEDS THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY.
UH, TO, UM UH, ADDRESSING THE
STIGMA AND OFFERING PROTECTIONS
FOR PEOPLE, UM AND YOU KNOW,
OBVIOUSLY PUBLIC CAMPAIGNS ABOUT
ALL OF THAT WOULD BE REALLY
HELPFUL AS WELL. AWESOME. THANK
YOU, UM. IT'S INTERESTING AS YOU
TALK ABOUT ANTI DISCRIMINATION
LAWS AROUND PARA MENOPAUSE AND
MENOPAUSE. ONE OF THE ISSUES
WILL BE DEFINING WHO'S IMPAIR
MENOPAUSE RIGHT? WHICH IS
MEDICAL ISSUES WE HAVE TODAY. UM
BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO
WORK TOWARDS, UM DID YOU WANNA?
YEAH. MISTER ZUBER. I. I HAD ONE
QUESTION. UH, MS MORIMOTO, UM SO
WHEN YOU. PROVIDED THIS PACKAGE
OF BENEFITS. WAS IT DONE? UH,
WITHIN THE HEALTH CARE PLANS, OR
DID YOU DO SOMETHING THAT WAS
SORT OF SEPARATE LIKE A VISION
BENEFIT AND THE DENTAL BENEFITS?
I MEAN, WAS IT SOMETHING YOU HAD
TO CRAFT? SEPARATELY OUTSIDE OF
YOUR PLANS, OR WAS IT IS IT WAS
IT EMBEDDED IN THE HEALTH PLAN?
IT IS A SEPARATE BENEFIT, SO WE
WERE ABLE TO LEVERAGE AN
EXISTING CONTRACT THROUGH OUR
HEALTH PLAN, BUT, UM, IT IS A
SEPARATE ORGANIZATION. UM WE
OFFER IT FREE TO OUR EMPLOYEES
AND THEIR PARTNERS. AND WHAT IT
IS, IS THAT DIGITAL PLATFORM AND
ACCESS TO THE CONSULTATIONS WITH
THE CLINICIANS. SO EMPLOYEES ARE
ABLE TO, UM, GET THE INFORMATION
THEY NEED. ASK THE QUESTIONS
THAT THEY HAVE EXPLORE. OPTIONS
AND THEN IF THEY WANT TO SEEK
MEDICAL TREATMENT, MEET WITH A
PROVIDER, BUT THEN IT'S REALLY
REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF TIME
THEY'RE SPENDING SEEKING CARE
AND AT THE RATE THAT WE'RE
SPENDING IN TERMS OF MEDICAL
CARE THAT'S ACTUALLY TURNED OUT
TO BE AN INCREDIBLE INVESTMENT
FOR US. UM IT GIVES OUR
EMPLOYEES BACK THE TIME PEACE OF
MIND. THEY CAN ACCESS IT 24 7 SO
IT CAN BE ON THE WEEKENDS. IT
CAN BE IN THE NIGHTS. YOU KNOW
WHEN THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE
TIME. THEY WANT TO PURSUE IT. UM
BUT IT'S BEEN AND I THINK AN
INCREDIBLE WAY FOR US TO EXPAND.
BENEFITS UM, WE'VE HAD ABOUT 700
EMPLOYEES AND PARTNERS WHO USED
IT. THEY GIVE AN AVERAGE RATING
OF 4.9 OUT OF FIVE FOR THE
SERVICES AND RESOURCES AND IN
TERMS OF REALLY CREATING AN
INCLUSIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT. UM
IT'S MADE A STATEMENT TO OUR
WOMEN THAT WE CARE ABOUT THEM AS
INDIVIDUALS, AND WE WANT TO
ENSURE THAT THEY CAN LIVE THEIR
BEST LIVES. BUT BUT ONE SO THIS
IS SORT OF A, UM SORT OF AN
OVERVIEW SET OF ADDITIONAL
SUPPORT, SORT OF, LIKE A AN EAP
PROGRAM. RIGHT UM AND THEN, TO
THE EXTENT THERE'S BENEFITS THAT
ARE REQUIRED, YOU WOULD BE
REDIRECTED INTO THE HEALTH PLAN,
FOR EXAMPLE, FOR MENTAL HEALTH
BENEFITS OR FOR OTHER THINGS,
MEDICAL CARE THAT YOU MIGHT NEED
AND THAT WOULD BE COVERED IF
THEY WANT TO SEEK A
PRESCRIPTION, FOR EXAMPLE FOR
HORMONE THERAPY, UM THEY WOULD
THEN MEET WITH A DOCTOR IN THE
MEDICAL PLAN. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. AWESOME.
WELL, I WANNA THANK YOU ALL, UM
AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT I THINK
IT IS REALLY I KNOW THAT
GENETECH ISN'T THE ONLY COMPANY
DOING THIS, BUT AS A PARA
MENOPAUSAL WOMAN, I THINK THAT
IT IS REALLY CRITICAL THAT
EMPLOYERS ARE PROVIDING THESE
SERVICES AND, UM NOT ENOUGH ARE
AND I THINK WE I WILL OWN ALSO
THAT WE AS A STATE NEED TO LOOK
AT WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR OUR OWN
EMPLOYEES, UM, AND MAKING SURE
THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THE CARE
THAT WOMEN GOING THROUGH THIS
TRANSITION NEED, UM SO THANK YOU
ALL FOR BEING HERE AND PROVIDING
SUCH INCREDIBLE TESTIMONY. UM I
HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH THROUGH
THESE TWO HEARINGS, AND I'M SURE
EVERYONE LISTENING HAS AS WELL
SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR
INCREDIBLE PANELISTS. AGAIN TO
MY STAFF FOR PUTTING TOGETHER AN
INCREDIBLE PANEL. UM WE WILL GO
TO PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE CLOSING
REMARKS. SO YOU KNOW WE HAVE A
COUPLE OF PEOPLE WITH PUBLIC
COMMENT. MAKE SURE TO SAY NA ME
AND ORGANISATION AS WELL SO WE
CAN GET THAT ON THE RECORD.
HELLO, OOP. THERE WE GO. CAN YOU
HEAR ME? YES EXCELLENT. HELLO
UH, THANK YOU, ASSEMBLY MEMBER,
UH BAUER KHAN AND, UH, COMMITTEE
MEMBERS FOR HOLDING THIS HEARING
AND TALKING ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT
TOPIC. MY NAME IS WHITNEY
MCDOUGALL. AND I'M HERE, UH,
FROM INTUIT INC. ANOTHER
CALIFORNIA BASED COMPANY. UM AND
I HAVE BEEN IT INTO IT A LITTLE
OVER 30 THREE YEARS NOW AND HAVE
TRULY FELT SUPPORTED THROUGH ALL
THE DIFFERENT PHASES OF MY LIFE,
RIGHT? WHETHER IT WAS PREGNANCY
OR MOTHERHOOD. UH, AND A FEW
YEARS AGO, MENOPAUSE UM SO UM
UH, AS YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE BEEN
DISCUSSING TODAY THERE IS STILL
A REAL STIGMA ABOUT MENOPAUSE IN
THE WORKPLACE. IT IS NOT
DISCUSSED OPENLY AND THAT'S
INCLUDED IN THE FINTECH AND TECH
ENVIRONMENTS THAT I HAPPEN TO
WORK IN. UM, I'M PROUD TO SHARE
THAT AN INTUIT. WE ARE TAKING
PROACTIVE AND INTENTIONAL STEPS
TO TRY TO DEMYSTIFY MENOPAUSE
AND PROVIDE SUPPORT TO ALL OF
OUR EMPLOYEES THAT NEED IT. AND
WE LOOK AT THIS NOT ONLY FROM
THE, UM THE WOMAN'S POINT OF
VIEW, BUT ALSO ANYBODY ELSE IN
THE WORKPLACE AS WELL. UH THIS
IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE MENOPAUSE
IMPACTS WOMEN BOTH, UM,
PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY BUT ALSO
PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY
AND BACK IN 2022. WE DID. A
SURVEY OF 3000 MEN AND WOMEN
JUST TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND AND
QUANT. BY THE IMPACT IN THE
WORKPLACE, AND WE FOUND THAT OF
THE WOMEN WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED
MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS 20% HAVE
LEFT OR CONSIDERED LEAVING THE
WORKFORCE BECAUSE OF THAT. 38%
FELT LESS CONFIDENT IN THEIR
ABILITIES. HELLO, BRAIN FOG. UM
AND, UM 48% WOULD NOT DISCLOSE
TO THEIR EMPLOYER THAT THEY WERE
GOING THROUGH MENOPAUSE. WE ALSO
FOUND THAT 76% OF THE MEN AND
WOMEN THAT TOOK THE SURVEY
THOUGHT THAT, UH, THE EXPERIENCE
OF GOING THROUGH MENOPAUSE COULD
HARM ONE'S ABILITY TO PROGRESS
TO MORE SENIOR ROLES IN THE
WORKPLACE. SO THIS IS JUST A
JUST A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT IS
HAPPENING IN THE WORKPLACE FOR
WOMEN. UM BUT ON THE POSITIVE
FRONT, 76% SAID THAT, UM THEY
BELIEVED THAT UH, MANAGER
TRAINING AND WELLNESS RESOURCES
WOULD IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCES.
SO UM, AT INTUIT. WE ARE
FOCUSING ON JUST THOSE THINGS
RIGHT EDUCATION AND RESOURCES.
AND HOW CAN WE HELP OUR
EMPLOYEES? SO SOME EXAMPLES OF
THIS INCLUDE, UM WE HAVE
INTERNAL CAMPAIGNS. WE'VE
PRODUCED VIDEOS. WE HAVE
PODCASTS. UM WE HOST STAFF
PRESENTATIONS AND PANEL
DISCUSSIONS WHERE PEOPLE CAN
COME AND OPENLY TALK ABOUT
MENOPAUSE AND THEIR EXPERIENCE.
WE HAVE TWO OF OUR EMPLOYEE
RESOURCE GROUPS, THE WOMEN'S
NETWORK AND THE SILVER NETWORK.
UM, BOTH HAVE DEDICATED
RESOURCES ON THIS. AND HOST
EVENTS, AND THEN THEY SHARE THIS
WITH THEIR OTHER EMPLOYEE
RESOURCE GROUPS AS PART OF THEIR
INTERSECTIONALITY FOCUS, SO THAT
WHETHER YOU'RE IN THE PRIDE
GROUP OR ONE OF THE OTHER
GROUPS, YOU ALL HAVE ACCESS TO
THE SAME INFORMATION. WE DO
MANAGER TRAINING AND THEN WE
HAVE, UM, JUST TRAINING
AVAILABLE TO ANY EMPLOYEES ON
OUR INTERNAL PLATFORMS, SO WE
DON'T LIMIT IT JUST TO THE
MANAGERS. UH, WE ARE ACTUALLY IN
THE U Kò. I LOVED THAT YOU HAD.
UM UH UH, MP HARRISON. UH, WE
ARE ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS OF
PURSUING THE MENOPAUSE FRIENDLY
ACCREDITATION THAT THEY OFFER.
UH AND THEN, FINALLY, UH,
SIMILAR TO AS MS MARUMOTO SAID.
WE ALSO UTILIZE, UH, MAVEN AND
PROVIDE IT AS A FREE BEER SALES
TO ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES WITH THE
SAME, UH, SCOPE OF BENEFITS THAT
THAT SHE DISCUSSED AND, UM WE'RE
REALLY GRATIFIED TO SEE THAT.
THROUGH THESE EFFORTS. MORE AND
MORE WOMEN ARE TALKING ABOUT
MENOPAUSE IN THE WORKPLACE.
WE'RE SEEING MORE WOMEN TAKE UP,
UM AND UTILIZE THE RESOURCES
THAT I JUST SHARED. UH, AND
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BRINGING
THIS ISSUE TO OUR ATTENTION, AND
WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING A
RESOURCE AND THOUGHT PARTNER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
LEADERSHIP. YOU KNOW, I STARTED
MY CAREER IN BIG LAW. AND WE, UM
ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT THE OFF RAMP
WHEN WOMEN HAD CHILDREN BECAUSE
WOMEN WERE SO UNDERREPRESENTED
IN BIG LAW. AND AS YOU WERE
SPEAKING, ONE OF MY FAVORITE
FEMALE PARTNERS WHO I WORKED FOR
LEFT AROUND 50 AS I'M REFLECTING
BACK ON THAT, AS I WAS YOUNG AND
WAY BEFORE I STARTED THINKING
ABOUT MENOPAUSE. I WONDER IF
THAT WAS PART OF HER OFF RAMP,
BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. WE
LOOK AT THESE OFF RAMPS WOMEN
ARE TAKING WHO ARE ALREADY
UNDERREPRESENTED IN SO MANY
WORKFORCES. SO IT'S A HUGE
GENDER EQUITY ISSUE. SO THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. UM I THINK THAT
WAS IT ON PUBLIC COMMENT FROM
WHAT I'M SEEING, UM. JUST WANNA
THANK THE CHAIRWOMAN FOR ALL THE
HARD WORK AND YOUR STAFF AND
PUTTING TOGETHER THIS VERY
INFORMATIVE, UM, PRESENTATION,
AND I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE
GUESTS WHO, UH, PARTICIPATED
TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE. UM, SO I WANT TO
THANK EVERYONE WHO IS WITH US
TODAY. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE
REALLY HIGHLIGHTED THE POINT
AROUND BREAKING DOWN THE STIGMA
SURROUNDING MENOPAUSE AND HOW
IMPORTANT IT IS REALLY, TO OUR
THRIVING AS WOMEN AS WE AGE, AND
SO I THINK THAT THE
PARTICIPATION IN THIS HEARING
AND THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE
THAT WE HEARD ABOUT IS SO
CRITICAL TO THAT, UM, MENOPAUSE
IS THIS NATURAL BIOLOGICAL
PROCESS THAT AFFECTS SO MANY OF
US 51% OF THE POPULATION. BUT
YET WE STILL DON'T TALK ABOUT IT
ENOUGH, AND I THINK BY OPENING
UP THE CONVERSATION NORMALIZING
DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MENOPAUSE, WE
ARE HOPEFULLY EMPOWERING WOMEN
TO SEEK SUPPORT AND RESOURCES
THEY NEED AND I THINK
HIGHLIGHTING THE RESOURCES THAT
COULD BE AVAILABLE IS A REALLY
IMPORTANT PIECE OF THAT THAT WE
HEARD TODAY. UM AS WE HEARD
WORKPLACES PLAY SUCH A VITAL
ROLE IN SUPPORTING WOMEN, UM AND
INCLUDING MENOPAUSAL WOMEN. AND
SO AS OUR UNDERSTANDING OF
MENOPAUSE EXPANDS, SO SHOOT TWO
SHOULD OUR POLICIES, OUR
LEGISLATION AND OUR PRACTICES,
UM, PROVIDING SOME OF THE
ACCOMMODATIONS WE'VE HEARD ABOUT
TODAY. UH, I THINK ARE REALLY
IMPORTANT TO MAKING SURE THAT
WOMEN STAY IN THE WORKFORCE IF
THEY WANT TO, AND ARE ABLE TO
THRIVE IN THAT WORK. I ALSO
THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHAT
WE TOUCHED ON AS IT RELATES TO
EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR
MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS BY PROVIDERS
, WHICH GO HAND IN HAND WITH
THOSE SOCIETAL SHIFTS THAT WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT. WE NEED TO BE
DMAT MENOPAUSE TRAINING OUR
PHYSICIANS PROVIDING HEALTH CARE
COVERAGE FOR MENOPAUSAL
TREATMENT AND DOING SO MUCH MORE
. UM SO TOGETHER. I THINK THESE
CONVERSATIONS ARE REALLY THE
BEGINNING OF WORKING TOWARDS A
FUTURE WHERE MENOPAUSE IS
EMBRACED AS A NATURAL PART OF
OUR LIFE. UM AND WE'RE
MENOPAUSAL WOMEN ARE EMPOWERED
TO THRIVE IN EVERY ASPECT OF
THEIR LIVES, INCLUDING IN THEIR
WORKPLACES. SO I WANT TO THANK
YOU ALL FOR BEING A PART OF THAT
CONVERSATION, AND WITH THAT WE
WILL BE ADJOURNED.