Here to help: tell us what you need to know

Menopause is a difficult time for some women, and can be associated with challenges for the health practitioners who care for them. Menopausal symptoms vary considerably, and there are a wide variety of treatments that all have their benefits and risks. Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), non-hormonal medications and complementary treatments are some of the management strategies available, and women will ask their health practitioner for guidance on which option is best for them, and what are the benefits and risks of each strategy.

MHT has been associated with considerable fear in the community due to the perceived risk of breast cancer associated with treatment. This has led to a net reduction in MHT use since the release of the results of the largest placebo controlled study of hormone therapy use in 2002. Yet subsequent re-analysis of this study, and more recent studies, have shown that the risks of MHT vary depending on the type of hormone therapy, and also by duration of use.

Separating the fact from the fiction, and the pros and cons of MHT, were part of what I covered in a recent webinar for health professionals hosted by Jean Hailes for Women’s Health.

The webinar, ‘Ask an Expert: menopause management’, is just part of our suite of offerings to health professionals across the country. Like much of the material across a range of online resources including e-learning, videos, webinars and practice points, the recent webinar is in response to what health professionals have told us they wanted to know more about.

That’s why I’m inviting all health professionals who work in women’s health, or are more interested in upskilling in women’s health, to complete the latest five-minute survey from Jean Hailes for Women’s Health. Let us know what you would like to know more about via the link below.

Your feedback is invaluable to our work and will enable us to maximise our educational content to benefit health practitioners and the women they care for. Thank you.