Journeys in Surgical Menopause: bringing women together to share experiences and information so that none has to go through it feeling lost and alone.
8th March 2025 is international women’s day and the theme this year is “accelerate action” with hopes to speed up progress worldwide to achieve gender parity. It emphasizes the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres. We at the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Wellbeing and Recovery College, as you might expect, are looking at this through the lens of an issue that impacts on many women’s emotional and mental health.
Menopause is a natural part of aging that affects all women, typically between the ages of 45 and 55. In the UK, it’s estimated that around 13 million women are currently either peri- or post-menopausal and there is now a growing network of support for women experiencing a “natural menopause” but this is not necessarily the case for those facing surgical menopause.
It is extremely hard to find out how many women experience surgical menopause each year, with the nearest figure available being that in England, according to NHS Digital, there were approximately 30,000 hysterectomies performed annually between 2008 and 2019. This includes both total and partial hysterectomies, with the majority being total hysterectomies. This demonstrates the lack of attention afforded to this potentially significantly life changing experience undergone by many women and girls.
The main difference between a natural menopause and a surgical menopause is in the suddenness and intensity of symptoms, with surgical menopause being more abrupt and severe. By its very nature it is accompanied by other serious health conditions and the clinical focus is often solely on the physical impact.
On the NHS website information about surgical menopause merits only 77 words (including the title)!
64% of women of 521 women aged 20-59, in the UK who responded to a survey conducted in August and September 2024 by Menopause Support had not even heard of surgical menopause before their own operation. “A staggering 74.5% of respondents were not made aware, by health care professionals, of the potential side-effects of having both their ovaries removed, including not being told that they would be plunged into premature menopause.”
If you have been affected by a surgical or medical menopause, please join us on 12th March, The Granary, Worcester 10am-12noon for a World Café style. This event will be led by women who have experienced the impact of surgical menopause themselves. We will be sharing experiences, information, and sources of support in a friendly, safe, and compassionate space.