Menopause-You Are Not Alone

The Sunderland Bangladeshi Centre is working with Dr Yitka Graham, Head of the Helen McArdle Nursing and Care Research Institute and June Pace, Primary Care Practice Manager Lead for Mental Health (Adults and Children), Sunderland Clinical

Commissioning Group who is Project Managing the “You Are Not Alone” Sunderland Menopause Focus Group. The group consists of representation from various Health/Social Care and Voluntary organisations within Sunderland.

The aim of the Focus Group is to ensure All Women in Sunderland are educated on the menopause and know when to ask for support. Women, whose first language is not English, can have a different experience when seeking information and support from professionals. The Focus group has set up a webpage within wellbeinginfo.org and have designed and translated a questionnaire to help women from the BAME community identify if they are experiencing menopausal symptoms. There is also a video on the webpage which describes the symptoms of menopause in Hindi to try to educate women from the BAME community about when to seek advice and support. There has been a BAME focus group with some women from the Centre to understand their needs when experiencing menopause symptoms. This was well attended and informative. Dr Graham is working with the centre on further research to help support BAME women in Sunderland.

The “You Are Not Alone” Focus Group have raised the lack of Menopause Awareness for women of all cultures and backgrounds In Sunderland with the Department of Health via Sunderland MP Sharon Hodgson and Maria Cauldield, MP who is to head up a Menopause Taskforce and has said the Government will bear in mind the work of the “You Are Not Alone” Focus Group when they develop their Menopause strategy.