Women's Health: Perimenopause and Menopause

Healthwatch Redbridge wanted to explore how women in Redbridge experience menopause and perimenopause. Through a combination of surveys and interviews, the project sought to understand the barriers they face, the support they receive, and the impact on their physical, emotional, and social wellbeing.  They spoke to 30 women.

Many women described difficulties obtaining timely, informed menopause support through primary care. Problems included dismissal of symptoms, poor continuity, long waits, confusion around referral routes, and low visibility of specialist services. These issues were especially pronounced for disabled women and women from global majority backgrounds.

Across both the survey and interviews, many women reported entering perimenopause or menopause with only partial understanding of what was happening. Cultural taboo, generational silence, and embarrassment were recurring factors that reduced preparedness and limited open discussion.

Women described barriers linked to language, format, literacy, disability, and trust in available sources. Interview data in particular showed that women with disabilities and some Bengali and Indian participants often found current information insufficient, inaccessible, or poorly tailored to their needs.

Many women sought information reactively rather than proactively, often once symptoms had already become difficult to manage. There was broad support for school-based education, trusted clinical settings, community-based approaches, and accessible digital tools, although preferences differed by age, ethnicity, and disability.

Women described impacts on confidence, mood, relationships, and working life, including reduced performance, time off work, and early retirement. These effects were often compounded when women felt unsupported by employers, family, or health services.