‘Bitchy’, ‘psycho’ labels slammed
‘‘We still talk about menopause as a joking thing – the Karens complaining or ladies flushing in the office’’ left, Women’s Health Action general manager
‘‘I think there is a bit of a stigma around menopause – and a stigma generally around ageism for women.’’
A women’s health advocate is calling on Kiwis to not joke about menopause, as attitudes can affect how badly women suffer symptoms.
The comments come after a women’s health clinic was criticised for for displaying dolls illustrating menopause stages, including one called ‘‘bitchy’’ and another ‘‘psycho’’.
The dolls were on display at Whangārei Hospital’s gynaecological department for about three years, until Northland District Health Board received a complaint earlier this year.
‘‘I can’t imagine what it would be like if you were a patient already anxious about accessing healthcare, who potentially has already felt dismissed by doctors, only to see that the staff treating you think women going through menopause are ‘bitchy’ and ‘psycho’,’’ the unnamed complainant wrote.
‘‘It is incredibly disappointing that, of all places, Northland DHB is reinforcing these misogynistic stereotypes.’’
Surgical services manager Joanne West said the dolls were created as personal representations by women in the team, expressing their own experiences of menopause. The team was saddened to hear they caused distress, she said.
‘‘Our entire team in gynaeco
Centre for Women’s Health Research director and Wellington Menopause Clinic founder
logy work hard to be strong advocates for women and women’s health, and ensure their work practices and environment are safe for women.’’
But Isis McKay, the general manager of Auckland-based Women’s Health Action, agreed the menopause display was ‘‘appalling’’.
‘‘It’s a really unprofessional and ignorant attitude that we shouldn’t be portraying, especially in a gynaecological clinic likely to be dealing with women who are dealing with the more extreme symptoms of menopause,’’ she said.
McKay thought the display was symptomatic of wider societal attitudes where women are devalued, and menopause symptoms are linked to hysteria.
Cultural attitudes have been shown to have an impact on women’s physical experience of menopause and perimenopause, she said.
In Eastern societies where older women are held in high regard, and the change is considered a time of renewed energy, women report significantly less problematic symptoms, McKay said.
While in New Zealand periods are talked about more often, menopause is still a taboo subject or something that is laughed at, she said.
‘‘We still talk about menopause as a joking thing – the Karens complaining or ladies flushing in the office – It’s less likely to be talked about as heavy menstrual bleeding or shifts in libido.’’
McKay said she would like to see a change, where menopause is considered a natural life stage, rather than something that should be hushed up or medicated.
Everyone can play a part: ‘‘Stop making menopausal women the butt of jokes.’’
Menopausal women need access to good information, not to be made fun of, agreed Professor Bev Lawton, Centre for Women’s Health Research Te Tatai Hauora O Hine director and Wellington Menopause Clinic founder.
About 70% of Kiwi women have significant symptoms with menopause, but only 40% seek help from a doctor.
Treatment options can range from lifestyle changes such as taking up yoga, to hormone replacement therapy, Lawton said.
But women with complex symptoms needing help from a specialist, such as the Wellington Menopause Clinic, can wait months to be seen, she said.
‘‘Definitely there is not enough access to appropriate information and treatment for New Zealand women,’’ she said.
‘‘I think there is a bit of a stigma around menopause – and a stigma generally around ageism for women.’’
Lawton said New Zealand workplaces also need to consider being more menopause friendly, as studies show menopause symptoms can have a significant impact on attendance and performance at work.
Small changes – such as changing shifts if women are having trouble sleeping at night – can help stop women from feeling they have to quit work in their prime, she said.