October is Menopause Awareness Month, making it an ideal time to start conversations about this natural life transition, raise awareness, and provide accessible information and support for women and their communities.
One goal of Menopause Awareness Month is to foster an environment of understanding, support, and solidarity. Another is to reduce the stigma surrounding menopause. As public health professionals serving First Nations communities in BC, we want to help you understand what to expect and how to manage symptoms you may experience during perimenopause (the transitional phase leading up to menopause) and post-menopause.
The FNHA's Office of the Chief Medical Officer (OCMO) has developed a menopause infographic specifically for First Nations community members. Its main purpose is to raise awareness about menopause and perimenopause, which are often not discussed, leaving many women unaware of what to expect until they begin to go through it.
Menopause is a natural biological process in which the ovaries reduce the production of reproductive hormones. It begins with perimenopause, when the ovaries' production of estrogen and progesterone declines, leading to missed or irregular periods. The average age of perimenopause is 45. When you have not had a period for 12 consecutive months, you have officially reached menopause. In Canada, the average age of menopause is 51.
Menopause is not just a physical transition; it also affects mental and emotional health. Fluctuating hormones can contribute to mood swings, anxiety, and even depression. However, you can still live well during this stage of life, with balanced physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Some people even find menopause to be freeing, and consider it a time for celebration!
Rose, a First Nations woman living in BC, shared her perimenopause and menopause experiences with us.
I was happy when I first realized the 'change-of-life' process had begun, because it meant no more PMS, no more periods, no more menstrual cramps," she said. “But there were a lot of cons too – like difficulty sleeping, fatigue, night sweats, hot flashes, extreme sensitivity to temperature, mood swings, hair falling out, weight gain, and some joint pain. It can be difficult for the people around you too!
I would advise people to talk to your health care practitioner about what's best for you, because we're all unique.
Read up on it beforehand to prepare yourself – I know people who started the process in their early 40s.
I also recommend talking to your friends who are going through it and getting advice and sharing stories. I found that really helpful. There are online support groups you can join. It really helps to know that we are not alone and that it's okay to ask for help and try different things. It's been helpful for me to talk to other women who have gone through this or to hear their stories.
Having a sense of humour about it is also very helpful – we as First Nations people have always used humour as a coping mechanism to get through difficult things, things that are far more difficult than this! My friends and I have had a lot of laughs about the crazy symptoms we've had to deal with. And of course, taking one day at a time is always good, and doing practical things like wearing layers so that if I got too hot or too cold, I could adjust – or eating nutritious foods and not drinking too much caffeine or even a glass of wine socially as that could bring on a hot flash. Getting some regular exercise also was very helpful.
I just kept telling myself, “This too will pass." It's like life in general, that is, it doesn't really get easier, but you get better at managing it.
For more information
The infographic created by the OCMO includes basic information about menopause, but if you are looking to learn more about menopause or perimenopause, you can visit the Menopause Foundation of Canada's website. Please speak to your health care provider if you are experiencing difficult symptoms because of menopause.