Menopause is having a moment. Celebrities from Oprah Winfrey and Drew Barrymore to Michelle Obama and Naomi Watts are speaking out about their own experiences and bringing attention to this milestone reached by approximately 1 million American women a year. With the increased awareness, more women are calling for better treatment options and urging lawmakers to boost research funding for menopause and women’s health studies.
“The first generation of professional women in the workforce is attaining this milestone in large numbers, which has led to an appreciation of how symptoms of menopause can affect performance,” said Nanette Santoro, MD, professor and E. Stewart Taylor Chair in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “Women are finally demanding the treatment they deserve to support them through it. It’s very exciting to see the current focus on this important life transition.”
Still, myths, misconceptions and misunderstandings about menopause remain. Given that knowledge is power, here are six key things to know about what exactly menopause means and how to get through it as smoothly as possible.