First-of-its-kind B.C. study looks at impacts of menopause

A first-of-its-kind-study in B.C. is shedding much-needed light on how women are impacted by menopause – from the symptoms they suffer, to having their concerns dismissed by doctors, to paying out-of-pocket for effective treatments, to being fired from their jobs.

A first-of-its-kind-study in B.C. is shedding much-needed light on how women are impacted by menopause – from the symptoms they suffer, to having their concerns dismissed by doctors, to paying out-of-pocket for effective treatments, to being fired from their jobs.

Lead researcher Dr. Lori Brotto, a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UBC, says women's health in general is woefully under-researched, getting only seven per cent of available national funding. Of that seven per cent, only a small portion goes to studying menopause, which impacts all biological females to varying degrees.

"There's more that we don't know than we do know when it comes to midlife health," Brotto told CTV News.

In British Columbia, there are more than 875,000 women between 40 and 65 years old, the final report Health and Economics Research on Midlife Women in British Columbia says. The study involved surveying and interviewing 2,000 women in the province – half who were in perimenopause and half who were post-menopause – and revealed common themes in their experiences, producing a series of recommendations for change.

"We were interested in looking at the range and intensity of menopause-associated symptoms. We were interested in looking at where women were getting help, how much they paid out of pocket, what was covered by their insurance, how much relief they got from the different treatments that they obtained," Brotto explained.

"And we also looked at impacts on mood and well-being and loneliness, and impacts on the workplace, days missed of work, performance, promotions, etc."

Other research into menopause has shown most women – 80 per cent – report symptoms that can include hot flashes, disturbed sleep, cognitive issues like brain fog, mood changes, vaginal and urinary issues, weight gain, fatigue and joint stiffness.