A menopause specialist set to come to Inverness to host a hormone debate at Eden Court has given her verdict on menopause being introduced as a disability in the workplace.
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00:00 Menopause is, yes it fulfills the definition of a disability, it absolutely does.
00:04 Untreated menopause, absolutely does.
00:07 But what you don't want to do is be labelled disabled without being offered any treatment.
00:13 Do you know what I mean?
00:14 There's no doubt about that, I don't know obviously about you, but if I wasn't taking HRT,
00:18 I would fulfil all the criteria for being disabled.
00:21 And certainly the longer I was without HRT, the more likely I would be physically disabled
00:25 with a fractured neck of femur or something else from osteoporosis.
00:30 So I can understand that, but actually you don't want to label being disabled if you've got a treatable condition.
00:37 So I think we just have to be careful that we're not just pushing women back down to be quiet again.
00:44 Do you think it was a step in the right direction and just not articulated in the right way?
00:51 I'm going to say no, because I think the money and the resources that have been spent on talking about this
00:59 could have easily been diverted to actually allowing women to be given evidence-based treatment.
01:05 What do you think needs to happen for there to be this incline in healthcare professionals
01:10 being trained as menopause specialists?
01:13 We need to see what we see through the clinic, in that it's the most enriching clinic that I could ever do.
01:19 It's very transformational medicine. It's very rewarding.
01:22 I think what happens is people go, "Oh, menopausal women, they're just full of complaints and woes."
01:28 Yeah, of course they are, because they're really suffering.
01:30 Actually, as soon as you treat them, they're not.
01:32 They're the most delightful people ever and really grateful and healthy as well.
01:36 So I think they just need to learn what it is, how easy it is to treat, and how transformational it can be
01:44 without these preconceived prejudices that she's going on at the minute.
01:49 How do you see menopause affecting women?
01:54 How is it life-debilitating before they receive the right treatment?
01:59 It really varies. Some women breathe and they're fine, but a lot of women have symptoms,
02:05 especially the ones affecting their mental health.
02:07 But a lot of us don't always recognise it.
02:10 So a lot of people find that they become shadow of their former self.
02:14 They become lower in their mood. They're more anxious.
02:17 But because a lot of symptoms come on quite gradually, it's very easy to blame something else or blame the situation.
02:24 And that's what happens more, really.
02:27 So that's why it's so important that it's shown.
02:32 It's not just for menopausal or perimenopausal women.
02:35 I would love more men and children to be educated, and older people, so they can recognise it in others.
02:45 But sometimes what you need is someone else to say, "Oh, Louise, you're not quite yourself.
02:49 You're always all right." And try and be part of that.
02:55 And that's where we need inclusion.
02:58 It's not just being a show for women.
03:02 It's what you make.
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