Rachel has welcomed the “huge progress” made in treating and supporting menopausal women to mark World Menopause Day today (October 18th).
Redditch’s MP has campaigned for better support and access to treatment for menopausal and peri-menopausal women during her time in Parliament.
In 2019, Rachel successfully campaigned to get menopause on the school curriculum for the very first time. In means that, since September 2020, pupils at secondary school have been taught about menopause as part of their Relationships Education and Sex Education lessons.
Rachel said:
“Having gone through the menopause myself, and the effects this had on my life, I’ve been determined to ensure menopause is better understood, and getting menopause on the school curriculum was a huge stride forward in achieving this.
Following on from this success, more progress was made as the Government set out its ambition for every woman to have access to the care and support they need during the menopause, with the menopause being made a top priority topic in the Women’s Health Strategy which was published last year.
The Women's Health Strategy made several key commitments. It committed to raising awareness of the menopause across the whole population to both reduce stigma around the menopause and to enable women going through the menopause to recognise symptoms. It also pledged to provide high-quality, personalised menopause care within primary care and, if needed, further specialist care in a timely manner.
It further outlined plans to ensure that women going through the menopause are supported to remain in the workplace and employers are well equipped to support their workforce during the menopause. It committed to increasing research into the menopause, including different treatment options and impacts of menopause or menopause treatment on future health risks.
The Government has also announced a number of measures to improve the support available to women experiencing the menopause. In April this year, the Government introduced the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) prescription prepayment certificate (PPC), which allows women to pay a one-off charge of less than £20 for all their HRT prescriptions for a year. Over 300,000 women have purchased an HRT PPC, saving an estimated £9 million in prescription charges this year.
Rachel added:
“The menopause was barely even talked about when I first entered Parliament in 2017, and now we have a Women’s Health Strategy with improving access to treatment and support for menopausal women at its heart.
“As we mark World Menopause Day, let’s celebrate the huge progress that we’ve made, but also remain focussed on continuing to improve treatments and understanding of menopause.”
