Is Menopause Finally Being Taken Seriously?
Hey you, it’s me! 💋
I was sitting with my coffee this morning when two menopause headlines caught my attention, and I had to stop scrolling.
My first thought? Well, it’s about time!
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I had some mixed emotions. Relief that maybe, just maybe, we’re finally starting to be heard and understood. Frustration that it’s taken this long for something half the population will experience to be taken seriously. And honestly, a little fear, too.
We’ve worked so hard to get menopause recognized as a legitimate health concern, and I worry about people taking advantage of the very systems we’re fighting to put in place. Because when that happens, it can make it harder for the women who genuinely need help to be taken seriously.
As a woman who’s lived through menopause and now works in menopause wellness, I know how important these conversations are. For generations, women have been told to push through, brush it off, or accept that it’s just part of getting older.
And I keep coming back to one thought: We’ve spent enough time asking women to speak louder. It’s time we start listening.
So, let me tell you what I read this morning.
🇪🇸 Spain will pay women to rest when menopause keeps them from working
Starting December 1, women in Spain who have a diagnosed menopause-related condition that keeps them from working can take paid medical leave. Their employer covers the first day. After that, they receive 60% of their pay from day two and 75% from day 21. Spain is also waiving the usual work-history requirement to qualify. One thing I appreciate: it isn’t for menopause by itself. It’s for women whose symptoms are severe enough that a doctor says they can’t work. That’s exactly the kind of guardrail that protects the women who truly need it.
🧠 Menopause may leave a “fingerprint” on our brain health
A new study in Nature Medicine from researchers at UCSF and the University of Toronto found 16 proteins in our blood that shift as we move through menopause. Those same proteins track with brain aging, and higher levels were linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s later in life. Before anyone panics, one of the lead researchers said they don’t think menopause directly causes dementia. Their hope is to turn this into a simple midlife blood test someday, like the cholesterol check we already get for our hearts.
Put those two headlines together, and the message is clear: menopause isn’t just hot flashes and a bad mood. It touches our work, our brains and our future health. I wrote about this shift in Is Menopause Research Finally Catching Up to Women?, and it feels like the world is finally starting to listen.
So let me ask you: if your workplace offered menopause leave tomorrow, would you feel comfortable asking for it, or would you still push through like so many of us have? Write me back in the Pen Pal section of The Sweet Spot. I read every one. 💌
Until our next chat, just stay sweet out there.
I love you,
Jenn 💋
Don’t quit in the quiet.
Want conversations like this in your inbox? Come hang out with me on Sunday mornings in The Sunday Scoop 🗞️.
Read More
- Euro Weekly News: Spain introduces new paid sick leave rules for menopause-related conditions
- Neuroscience News: Menopause transition may hold the key to women’s late-life dementia risk
- News-Medical: Menopause leaves a blood protein signature linked to brain aging
This note is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice.