Positive change as Fair City hosts Menopause Festival
A Menopause Festival - the world’s first - is coming to Perth, celebrating different aspects of the ‘third stage of life’.
Perth happens to be the epicentre for the evolving attitude to talking about ‘the change’, with this festival first being the natural follow-on from the initial get-togethers organised in the Fair City last year by Rowan Consultancy’s Rachel Weiss.
The ‘query-quake’ has spread across the UK and as far afield as South Africa, as women wake up to open discussion on the formerly taboo subject of leaving their reproductive phase.
Over the next two Saturday afternoons, events will take place at Perth Theatre, with a further two in April and May.
The first event, tomorrow on Saturday, March 10, will include a talk by Dr Laura Jarvis of Tayside Menopause Clinic.
Dr Jarvis is a speciality doctor in sexual and reproductive health and part of the team at the Tayside Menopause Clinic at Perth’s Drumhar Health Centre.
She said: “In the 15 years I have been involved in the clinic, we are certainly seeing more referrals which signifies that women are in search of more information and advice.
“Although we are generally seeing the more complex cases, we applaud Menopause Cafe for opening up the subject more widely and encouraging dialogue amongst both men and women.
“Normalising the subject will make a huge difference to the way the menopause is managed and the festival will play a positive role in that.”
Dr, Jarvis will shed light on the menopause, possible symptoms and ways of managing it. After her talk there’s a musical interlude and more informal chit chat.
Next week’s Saturday event will concentrate physical and mental wellbeing during the menopause and beyond.
The ‘meno-bites’ are open to all genders and all ages. All events are at Perth Theatre from 2.15pm until 5.30pm.
Broadcaster Kirsty Wark with Rowan Consultancy’s Rachel Weiss at the menopause event during last year’s WOW Festival in Perth