From the military to menopause: why we’ve got to talk about women’s health 

In this blog, Abby Ballard, Health Specialist on the Cornwall Menopause Project, explains what motivated her to start working in this space and why it’s so important to tackle stigma head on. 

I’m Abby, a Health Specialist on the Menopause Project in Cornwall and I’ve been with Brook for almost a year now. I help to deliver the training sessions with local small to medium businesses to help create menopause-friendly work environments, and I also deliver My Life 1:2:1s with people experiencing menopause. This allows people that are experiencing menopausal symptoms time and space to understand what the menopause is, to reflect on their journey through menopause and to identify how to manage symptoms that may be impacting on their health and wellbeing.  

I had used Brook services before working here. I loved the environment when I visited the clinic and how easy the staff were to talk to.

I felt like there was no judgement and it was just a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere.  

I previously worked in the military, which is a very male-dominated work environment, and there was a distinct lack of awareness and education regarding women’s health. Instances arose where female colleagues, experiencing extreme discomfort and challenges due to menstrual cramps, would request exemption from activities only to be met with dismissive responses and told to hide this from male or senior staff members so as to not reflect poorly on other women. Seeing the stigma around women made me want to start having conversations more among friends and colleagues so people do not feel isolated or that they must suffer in silence. 

So I was intrigued when I saw this job advertised because in my experience women’s health has been so hard to talk about in the workplace, and I was excited to see that Brook wanted to tackle the taboo around menopause. The chance to talk to people and offer information on menopause, how to support colleagues, and just opening the conversation really appealed to me. 

From my past experiences, it was clear that a lot of the stigma, misinformation and embarrassment around menstrual health comes from lack of education. This is definitely something I’ve encountered in our menopause training sessions. We see a huge lack of awareness from people who are not experiencing menopause, as well as unwarranted shame about needing support from those who are experiencing menopausal symptoms. A big part of tackling these stigmas has been being open to having these difficult conversations and taking the time to dismantle these misconceptions. 

Although menopause is being spoken about more in the media it is still with the image of cis white women who have entered menopause naturally.  

When speaking to participants or clients who do not fit this image; or have entered menopause through different circumstances (e.g. surgical and chemical), they say it can feel isolating or that they feel left out of the conversation. So, at Brook we really try to make sure we speak about a diverse range of experiences of menopause and make our sessions inclusive for everyone. 

It is also important that we discuss how menopause can interact with, and impact other existing conditions. For example, we have had people who are neurodiverse that did not know menopause can affect executive function who now feel more confident with asking for help or talking with friends about their symptoms.  

During our training and My Life sessions, participants have told us that they feel like they can better understand their menopause or that they finally feel seen. 

But it’s not just women or people experiencing menopause who have shared positive feedback from our sessions. Men who have attended training have said it has helped them better understand what their wives/partners will or have gone through, and some whose partners have experienced menopause as a result of things like breast cancer treatments have said that they feel more confident around the topic of menopause.  

My favourite part of my work is delivering My Life sessions. During the sessions people have the chance to better understand menopause and focus on their health and wellbeing through this time. Many of our clients have said that one the most beneficial things about the programme is having the chance to reflect and talk about their experiences with no judgement. Often around the time of menopause people also have other big life events like looking after an elderly relative, work pressures, children leaving home or looking after younger children, so having an hour purely dedicated to focusing on themselves and how they have changed or are changing and getting to know what motivates them can be really valuable.  

My experience with the Menopause Project at Brook has highlighted the crucial role of education and open dialogue in breaking down stigma surrounding menopause. Through training sessions and My Life 1:2:1 sessions, we have empowered individuals to navigate their menopausal journey with confidence and resilience. From neurodiverse individuals gaining insight into menopause’s impact; to partners finding new avenues of support, our work extends beyond those directly experiencing menopause. It has been a pleasure to work on this project and I cannot wait to see what the future holds.