Stigma of Menopause

09.25.24

This month’s Pin•Points That Matter got us talking about women’s health – specifically perimenopause and menopause. The fact that, as we write this, ‘perimenopause’ is being identified as a misspelled or non-existent word by our computer pretty much says it all. However, more than ever, women are sharing their experiences and helping breaking down stigmas across their societal circles, community groups, and workplace. That being said, we still have quite a ways to do as depicted in this month’s data story:

  • 63% of post-menopausal women found menopause to be difficult, describing their experience as a ‘nightmare’ and ‘awful’ – Post Reproductive Health, 2021
  • And 64% of women say they want menopause-specific benefits from their employers (in a similar function to maternity benefits) – Bank of America, 2023
  • Yet only, 14% of women believe their employer recognizes the need for menopause-specific benefits – Bank of America, 2023
  • And to make it worse, 48% of women believe menopausal women are seen as less productive or emotionally stable in the workplace – Bonafide, 2024

Considering over 1 million more women enter menopause each year and as of April 2024, women comprise 51% of the workforce in the United States, there has never been a better time to remove the stigma around menopause and start showing up for women’s health. At PinPoint, we’re all in – are you with us?