“It’s not only bad. It’s also a period where women are able to make better decisions, because they put themselves first.” Dr. Yvonne Louwers presented a session on Menopause in the Workplace, during EUR's Career & Wellbeing Month. It was a well-attended event, with women of all ages participating.
Dr. Yvonne Louwers first shared information about the physiology of menopause and ovarian ageing and how it affects women, including the extended time span women can experience signs and symptoms. As these may overlap with other conditions such as depression, it is sometimes difficult to correctly diagnose and treat women in menopause. Frustrations about this generated a lively conversation among women with different experiences with their GP and at work.
Awareness thus remains very important, especially in the workplace, where almost half of women experience menopausal problems. Dr. Yvonne Louwers emphasized that we should “ask help and make better choices” in terms of lifestyle. However, employers, colleagues and occupational doctors also have an important role to play in creating awareness and personalized options for women to be able to do their work at any age.
Participants discussed several treatment options, as well as smaller steps that can make a huge long-term difference in terms of health risks, including exercise that builds muscle. At the end of the session several tips and tricks as well as reliable resources were shared.
The session was organised in partnership with the staff network Females in Academia Moving towards Equity (FAME) and IDEA Center.
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