Reports and research

People who undergo cancer treatment or have their ovaries removed may experience medically induced menopause.

Findings from the 2025 Medically Induced Menopause Survey (MIMS) show that the experience can significantly impact quality of life, and that many people do not have access to the right information and support to manage their symptoms.

Tailored information, care, and support are needed for people experiencing medically induced menopause. The report is in PDF format (450 KB).

Download experiences of medically induced menopause in Australia PDF 450 KB.

This community-led project, delivered in partnership between nine Community Hubs and Jean Hailes, aimed to centre the voices of Arabic, Punjabi, and Vietnamese-speaking communities to better understand their experiences, preferences, and needs in accessing women’s health information in Australia.

The findings revealed strong preferences for:

• visual and bilingual resources
• videos featuring lived experiences
• face-to-face health discussions in trusted community spaces.

Participants identified:

• cultural stigma surrounding menstruation
• hesitancy around health checks
• significant gaps in knowledge on topics such as hormonal health, menopause, and mental wellbeing.

The report highlights key themes and recommendations that could assist in strengthening the promotion of women’s health initiatives in Arabic, Punjabi, and Vietnamese-speaking communities, creating a supportive, more inclusive, and culturally responsive approach.

This project highlighted the value of working closely with Community Hubs to connect with women who speak Arabic, Punjabi, and Vietnamese.

Creating a culturally safe space helped women feel comfortable sharing their health needs and experiences. While feedback was overwhelmingly positive, the suggestions offered valuable insights to improve future work and engagement. The lessons learned provide a strong foundation for more inclusive and meaningful women’s health initiatives.

We would like to acknowledge and thank the women and hub leaders from the following Community Hubs for their involvement in this community project, and for sharing their experiences:

• Prarievale Public School
• Banksia Road Public School
• Bankstown Public School
• Chester Hill Public School
• Inala State School
• Davis Creek Primary School
• Doherty’s P-9 College
• Point Cook P-9 College
• Truganina South Primary School.

This project was supported by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing as part of the funding program for the national digital gateway for women’s health information.

The report with our findings is available as an accessible PDF (1 MB).

Download Community consultations with Arabic, Punjabi and Vietnamese-speaking women on Periods & Health Checks PDF 1 MB.

Search our women’s health resources in:

• Arabic
• Punjabi
• Vietnamese.

This community-led project, delivered in partnership between Community Hubs Australia and Jean Hailes, aimed to centre the voices of Afghan women who speak Dari, Pashto and Hazaragi to better understand their experiences, preferences and needs when accessing women’s health information in Australia.

The project explored women’s experiences of accessing information and healthcare services, with a focus on menopause and contraception, and sought feedback to support the development of culturally responsive women’s health resources and health promotion initiatives.

The findings revealed strong preferences for:

• visual and easy-to-understand health information
• short videos and audio resources in community languages
• women-only community education sessions
• health information delivered through trusted community settings and peer networks
• multilingual resources, particularly in Dari and Pashto

Participants identified:

• language and interpreter challenges that can affect healthcare access and understanding
• difficulties navigating the Australian healthcare system
• limited knowledge of menopause, including symptoms, timing and treatment options
• uncertainty about contraception options, effectiveness and side effects
• the important role of trusted healthcare professionals, partners, family and community networks in health decision-making.

The report highlights key themes and recommendations to support the development and promotion of culturally appropriate women’s health information for Afghan women. Recommendations include increasing the availability of multilingual resources, expanding visual and audio formats, providing practical tools to support healthcare conversations, and continuing to deliver information through trusted community settings.

This project highlighted the value of working closely with Community Hubs to engage Afghan women in culturally safe, familiar and trusted environments. Women welcomed the opportunity to share their experiences, discuss sensitive health topics and contribute to shaping future women’s health resources. The findings demonstrate the importance of community-led approaches that meet women where they are and support informed health decisions through trusted relationships and accessible information.

We would like to acknowledge and thank the women and hub leaders from the following Community Hubs for their involvement in this project and for generously sharing their experiences and insights:

• Barton Primary School Community Hub
• Dandenong Primary School Community Hub
• Dandenong South Primary School Community Hub
• Northern Bay College Community Hub
• Elizabeth Park Community Hub
• Para Vista Primary School Community Hub
• St Brigid’s School Community Hub
• Woodridge North State School Community Hub

This project was supported by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing as part of the funding program for the national digital gateway for women’s health information.

The report with our findings is available as an accessible PDF: Download Community consultations with Afghan women on menopause & contraception (PDF)

Search our women’s health resources in Dari