Details of two new courses to help individuals before and during the menopause have been published as part of the launch of the UK's first menopause education and support program, created by UCL researchers.
The United Kingdom's National Menopause Education and Support Programme (InTune), is being developed by Professor Joyce Harper (UCL EGA Institute for Women's Health), Dr Shema Tariq (UCL Institute for Global Health) and Dr Nicky Keay (UCL Division of Medicine), alongside Dr Florence Rowe RD (UCL Divison of Medicine).
The work has been undertaken in partnership with two charities, Wellbeing of Women and Sophia Forum. The program also has the support of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and British Menopause Society (BMS).
A core aim of the UCL team is to co-design InTune with a diverse range of women and people who are affected by the menopause, to ensure that it is relevant, accessible and inclusive.
Over the last 12 months, the team have conducted two workshops (involving academics, clinicians, charity representatives, activists and other professionals working in menopause), focus groups and a public consultation survey. Through this work, they have established the need for two separate but interrelated programs: Be Prepared for Menopause and the Perimenopause Programme.
Professor Joyce Harper said: "Our previous research has highlighted an urgent need for accessible, evidence-based menopause education and support. We now wish to use our research expertise to respond to this.
Our vision is of high quality, inclusive menopause awareness, education and support, for everyone. We will achieve this by developing and delivering a non-commercial program of holistic support and education about menopause, co-designed with stakeholders and the public."
Joyce Harper, Professor, University College London
Be Prepared for Menopause is a two-hour interactive session aimed at individuals under 40 who have not yet reached perimenopause, but anyone can attend. The session will cover what menopause is, symptoms, diagnosis, management (including lifestyle modification) and life post menopause. The UCL team are using a novel teaching style, including showing short videos by key experts in the field, followed by opportunities for course attendees to reflect and discuss the issues raised.
The first version of the course has already been developed and has started to be piloted across the UK.
The Perimenopause Programme will be for individuals who are already experiencing menopause-related symptoms to ensure they have peer support and learn more about the perimenopause.
The perimenopause usually occurs around three to five years before the onset of menopause. During this stage women's estrogen and progesterone levels begin to fluctuate, causing them to experience mood changes, irregular menstrual cycles and other menopausal symptoms.
This stage of the menopause continues until one year after a woman's last period and can often last for between four and eight years in total.
Inspired by antenatal classes, the Perimenopause Programme will be between six and eight weeks long and delivered in a group setting. The team hope that eventually the course will be available through employers and in communities, fusing education with coaching and peer support.
The team will ensure that both courses will be available online and in-person, and that the content will be adapted for a diverse range of target audiences, including people who are neurodivergent, racially or sexually minoritised, and those living with an existing health condition.
Dr Nicky Keay added: "We believe that the time is right for InTune, a national program that will allow people to be in tune with menopause, in tune with their bodies and in tune with each other."
Plans for the program were first announced last year* following research led by Professor Harper, that showed that more than 90% of women were never educated about the menopause at school and over 60% only started looking for information about it once they began experiencing menopausal symptoms**.
New details published in Women's Health reveal how InTune can help address this lack of information and ensure that people reaching menopause have a greater understanding of what is happening to their bodies.
Dr Shema Tariq said: "InTune recognizes that with the right information and support, delivered to the right people, at the right time, we can empower communities to manage their health and wellbeing through this key life shift."
The team recently showcased InTune at a House of Commons event - chaired by Carolyn Harris MP, who is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Menopause, and Professor Dame Lesley Regan, the Women's Health Ambassador for England - where they discussed the need to provide education and support for menopause***.
The team are now hoping to secure further funding to ensure the program is refined and robustly evaluated.
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