Carrie Pierce/ Menopauserus.com's Page

Menopause Affects Women in Many Different Ways
A first-of-its-kind national poll reveals how

Menopause affects women in many different ways—and solutions for relief are as varied as the actual symptoms themselves!Menopauserus.com, and the Baby Boomer [Knowledge Center] undertook a major poll to gain a better understanding of Menopause, in the hope that women everywhere will better understand the Menopause process and come to realize they are not alone in their thoughts and feelings about it.

Participants in the poll were asked three basic - but very revealing - questions about their personal Menopause experience:
1. Has Your Menopause Experience Been As You Expected It Would Be?
2. Do You Feel You Were Adequately Prepared for Your Menopause?
3. For Me, the Worst Part of the Menopause Experience Has Been?

The findings have proved eye-opening, in both positive -and negative -ways. Of those women participating in the poll, the majority (38% of respondents) reported that:

• Yes, they felt well prepared for Menopause by their female friends/female family members/and their own research.

• Another 38% reported that No one prepared them and they had to educate themselves solely as to what to expect during menopause.
• Only 14% of respondents reported that their Physician and/or Ob-GYN prepared them for the Menopause process… a number we find rather alarming and disturbing.

These findings clearly indicate that women are not receiving the information they need- and should receive- from the medical community. The data also indicates that Menopause is still a journey made mostly ‘in private’ by the women of today- despite efforts made to build support networks, educate women in general, and bring the menopause process ‘out of the shadows’.

Many of the poll participants were so relieved to have a platform in which to discuss and share, that during the month the poll ran, numerous women contacted us personally via phone and email at our Menopauserus.com offices to share their stories more in-depth.

We are including a few of their comments below:

“Thank you! I completed the poll as well. I found it very interesting that on the question of preparedness, not one person (at the time I completed the poll) said they felt they were adequately prepared by medical professionals…”

“One thing I would urge other women to do is educate themselves on what Premarin is by Googling it and reading all about it before they take it!”

“It is so good to have other women to discuss this with! Thanks so much for posting this poll!”

“Thanks for broaching the subject of Menopause; our moms could not discuss it openly in their day…”

When reporting their symptomology, most participants stated:
> The mood swings and emotional/psychological difficulties were the worst for them. (33% reporting)
> The hot flashes/night sweats were the worst. (24% reporting)
> The weight gain was the worst. (19% reporting)

Tied with 26% of respondents reporting, we learned that the GENERAL experience of Menopause was split right down the middle- with some women stating that the overall experience of Menopause was ‘not as bad as they had expected’ and the same percentage reporting that it was ‘worse than they had expected’

To our surprise, many women contacted us to state that they were so confused and troubled about HRT (hormone replacement therapy) that they had opted to do nothing- and were ‘for safety’s sake’ choosing to white knuckle their way through the process.

That being said however, in compiling this report, one statistic did catch us off guard and give us cause to rejoice: ZERO percent of respondents reported feeling that Menopause was a time of mourning the loss of fertility and/or the perceived loss of ‘womanhood’!

This is hugely encouraging- and is proof positive that women are successfully changing their beliefs about the Menopause process, and that this generation is the first to break out of stereotypical beliefs surrounding this time in a woman’s life.

As one poll participant so eloquently put it:
“I am choosing to experience my Menopausal symptoms in all their glory, so that when my
daughter experiences it, she will look upon it not as suffering- but as a beautiful transition!”

We feel that this is a tremendously important shift in attitude and should NOT be downplayed!

Poll Methodology
During the month April 2009 the poll was available to women boomers on Menopauserus.com and the Baby Boomer [Knowledge Center]™, including seven consecutive days during ‘Boomer Women's Week.’ To achieve maximum participation the poll was also published on: Kalon Communities and Eons. The poll was also posted to the following LinkedIn Groups: LinkedIn Power Women, LOHAS, Women Looking for Work, as well as the Facebook Group Baby Boomer Nexus and eWomen Network.

Women were asked three questions. All responses were strictly anonymous. A total of 2,124 women participated in the poll.

Question One:
Has Your Menopause Experience Been As You Expected It Would Be?
* I had no expectations about the process: 32%
* No- it’s been easier than I anticipated: 26%
* No- it’s been worse than I anticipated: 26%
* Yes- it’s been exactly as I anticipated: 13%
* Other: 3%

Question Two:
Do You Feel You Were Adequately Prepared for Your Menopause?
* Yes, I feel I was well prepared by my female friends/my female family members/my own research: 38%
* No, no one prepared me and I had to educate myself: 38%
* Yes, I feel I was well prepared by my MD/ND/Ob GYN: 14%
* No, no one prepared me and I didn’t know where to turn. I had to suffer and endure alone: 10%

Question Three:
For Me, the Worst Part of the Menopause Experience Has Been?
* The mood swings and emotional/psychological difficulties: 33%
* The hot flashes/night sweats: 24%
* The weight gain: 19%
* The loss of fertility/ the perceived loss of ‘womanhood’: 0%
* Other answer: 5%

The national poll on the affects of menopause was a collaborative initiative of Menopauserus.com and the Baby Boomer [Knowledge Center]™

About Menopauserus.com
Menopauserus.com comprises a team of Menopause Specialists; licensed Dietitians, Naturopaths, Nurse Practitioners, Aromatherapists, Massage Therapists, Dermatologists, Makeup Artists and Aestheticians who work together to provide women with FACTUAL menopause-related health and beauty information. (http://menopauserus.com)

About Baby Boomer [Knowledge Center]™
Baby Boomer [Knowledge Center]™ is an information destination where you can explore new frontiers for living in a world that offers daily fresh challenges, choices and opportunities. Our mission is to connect Baby Boomers to high-value content in real time - no matter how specialized or specific - as quickly as possible. (http://BabyBoomerKnowledgeCenter.com)

Notice:
This poll may be reproduced in its entirety or in part with the appropriate attribution and acknowledgments.

© Copyright, 2009 Menopauserus.com and Baby Boomer [Knowledge Center]™