Targeting the menopause

The Story Behind Miss Menopause

Miss Menopause has been created to fill the void of educational services needed by women and their organisations as they reach menopause.

Most women will tell you that they had “the chat” to teach them what was about to happen to their bodies as they reached puberty. Sadly it is estimated less than 10% of companies across the UK are educating their workforce about menopause and the impact it could have.

So why does it matter?

Since 1971 there has been an ongoing decline in men working full time while the opposite is true of women. It’s estimated that in 15 years’ time the amount of full time working women will equal that of men.

The changes to pensionable age brought about in 2010 also mean more women are working for longer than ever before. This trend is set to continue.

Who is affected?

100% of all women will go through the menopause. Whether they have had children or not, all women will go through this phase in their life. The average age for the menopause is 51 in the UK, however some symptoms may begin many years before and can last up to a decade or more postmenopause too. Mental health issues can often arise due to the menopause.

How might this affect me?

100% of reproducing females will go through the menopause. Whether they have had children or not, all women will go through this phase in their life. The average age for the menopause is 51 in the UK, however
some symptoms may begin many years before and can last up to a decade or more post menopause too. Mental health issues can often arise due to the menopause.

What can be done?

Educate all of your workforce about this subject. There is an opportunity to educate HR departments who may want to review their wellbeing policies. Educate your managers who need to understand where this fits into diversity and how to work with their people. Most importantly to educate your women as to what to expect and how to deal with this time in their life.

If you care about your workforce and you want to get the best from the talent you employ then you need to get in touch…

Warmest regards,

Sharon MacArthur

Menopause Educator

British Menopause Society Member

Miss Menopause educates employers, and employees of businesses large or small about what to expect regarding the menopause, and how best to manage it. This is not a medical service but an informative, fun and interactive way of learning about this subject. Find out more about our specialist service options...

Sharon MacArthur, Menopause Educator

My menopause story

My name is Sharon MacArthur, I am over 50, the founder of Miss Menopause.

My journey began with night terrors. Waking up at 4 am with a feeling of impending doom. I began to feel exhausted. I just didn’t feel like me. Things I could do without thinking suddenly became really difficult. I couldn’t remember names, I was tired all of the time. I felt anxious about meeting people and didn’t want to go out.

Then the disturbed sleep began. Ordinarily, I could sleep on a clothesline but now I seemed to wake up every hour, leaving me feeling totally drained.

I took to Google to see if I could figure out what was happening to me. After hours of research it dawned on me I was probably going though perimenopause. In other words, I was en route to menopause.

Why had no one warned me?

Surely I was too young?

Sadly I found I wasn’t

The Impact

The final straw was when I fell asleep at the wheel of my car while driving at speed. I knew it was my hormones but I couldn’t control it.

The menopause was causing this. Shocked, I began to ask my friends and family to see who might be going through the same thing. Surprisingly the older women I asked said they “just got on with it” but they hadn’t worked at the time.
Friends my age didn’t seem to know anything about what to expect

I was on my own.

Miss Menopause was born from the sad fact that everyone seems to be missing the menopause. It truly seems like the last taboo. I’m on a mission to educate organisations and their employees. To make it ok to talk about the subject and support those people who need it. Menopause can last for years.

If you care about your customers, and your people, missing the menopause is not an option. I’m here to help you…