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Menopause and Me webinar a huge success
Menopause and Me
Menopause and Me webinar a resounding success
The Health and Wellbeing division of HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare recently hosted a free and empowering evening webinar on menopause called Menopause and Me. The event acknowledged World Menopause Day 2021 and the need to open up a conversation around the topic. Almost 380 women joined the webinar on the night and thousands more have viewed the video of the event, which is available online.
Anne Ryan, Head of Service for HSE Health and Wellbeing in the Mid-West, opened the event by noting that menopause is such a significant part of a woman’s journey in life. “I hope with this event, we can make menopause an easier and more supported journey for women. This is the start of a conversation which I have no doubt will expand into future initiatives. We are very grateful to all those who participated in the webinar for sharing their knowledge and for their willingness to open up and speak of their own experiences of menopause,” she said.
Mairead Kelly, HSE Health Promotion O cer with a specific remit for sexual health promotion in the Mid-West, said, “We are delighted the webinar was the a rming and empowering conversation for women in the Mid-West that we wanted it to be. The feedback from HSE sta and the public has been overwhelmingly positive and the feedback on the night indicates an increase in confidence and knowledge in relation to menopause for those who joined the webinar.
“The three guest speakers covered a number of important topics that responded to questions we received from women experiencing perimenopause and menopause both prior to, and during the event. It was especially heartening to see 153 women identify actions they are going to take following the webinar – these included talking to
their GP or other health professional, making a lifestyle change, talking to someone about what they learnt at the webinar and talking to family or their partner.” Dr Cassie McVeigh gave a very holistic overview of perimenopause and menopause and reminded women that every menopause is di erent and therefore needs to be responded to and managed di erently for each woman. “It is not just a time to survive, but a time to thrive. It is a good time to take stock, make lifestyle changes and "It was especially heartening to where necessary, get the right professional see 153 women identify actions help,” she said. they are going to take following Dr McVeigh gave an overview of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) the webinar – these included and other options, including lifestyle talking to their GP or other changes, to help women. “The good news health professional, making is that menopause is finally becoming a mainstream topic of conversation. a lifestyle change, talking to Women are educating themselves and someone about what they learnt supporting each other – so they no longer at the webinar and talking to have to feel ashamed or isolated or feel family or their partner" like they are giving in by choosing to opt for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT),” she said. “I view menopause as a time for positive change to get ourselves in the best health we can to ensure that we are able to live into old age with the best health possible.” Charlene Hyland, a physiotherapist with a special interest in women’s health, provided a comprehensive overview of the physical aspects of perimenopause and menopause. She explained how a trained physiotherapist can help with many of the physical symptoms and emphasised the protective role of exercise. Finally, Dr Nodlaig Moore, a clinical psychologist, explained the psychological aspects of perimenopause and menopause, how we relate to them and therefore, how we manage them. In particular, Dr Moore spoke about memory loss, anxiety and depression and what can help.
