October marks World Menopause Awareness Month, a period that healthcare advocates and medical professionals use to highlight a widespread lack of clinical services and patient education surrounding the midlife transition. In Moncton, obstetrician-gynecologist Karen Desrosiers reports that 70 percent of women experiencing menopausal symptoms in the workplace hesitate to discuss them due to social stigma, according to statistics from the Canadian Menopause Foundation.
Moncton Clinics and Workplace Impact
Dr. Desrosiers, representing the Atlantic region for the Menopause Society of Canada, states that hot flashes affect 80 percent of women, while other symptoms such as mood disturbances, anxiety, joint pain, brain fog, and sleep disruptions significantly diminish quality of life. The shortage of specialized menopause clinics creates severe challenges, as these untreated symptoms lead 10 percent of women to leave their jobs, according to reports citing Dr. Desrosiers.
Social Media Misinformation and the SOGC Public Campaign
To combat widespread digital misinformation, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) hosted a public education weekend at the Hilton Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, featuring online and in-person panels led by medical specialists. This is the second year that the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada organizes a day dedicated to education on women’s health. What set the stage, in my opinion, is all the misinformation found on social media.
explains Dr. Diane Francoeur, an obstetrician-gynecologist and the SOGC’s director general. Dr. Francoeur emphasizes that providing structured medical consultations helps patients understand symptoms such as mental fog, dispelling historical dismissals that the condition is merely psychological. We realize that there is a lot of misunderstanding, particularly regarding the famous “mental fog”,
notes Dr.
Addressing clinical barriers, a public commentary published in The Duty points out that current institutional resistance forces patients toward private clinics to obtain appropriate hormone therapy. While updated guidelines from Quebec’s Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) recognize the superior profile of transdermal bioidentical 17-beta estradiol, patients frequently encounter systemic obstacles. The commentary notes that standard medical practice frequently relies on oral contraceptives or hormonal intrauterine devices containing synthetic progestins rather than safer bioidentical micronized progesterone. The text is signed by several professionals including a pharmacy graduate, lecturer and trainer, along with Nancy Robertson, an IT specialist, Lina Bouchard, a human resources advisor, and Isabelle René, a licensed practical nurse. This momentum is massively supported by the population, as demonstrated by a petition that already gathers more than 26,000 signatures. Furthermore, federal bill S-243, championed by Danièle Henkel, highlights the urgency of investing in research, medical training, and prevention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do medical experts recommend transdermal bioidentical hormones?
According to updated INESSS guidelines cited in The Duty, transdermal bioidentical 17-beta estradiol is recognized for its advantageous safety profile.
How does the lack of clinical care affect women professionally?
Data from the Canadian Menopause Foundation cited by Dr. Desrosiers indicates that 10 percent of women leave their employment following problems caused by menopause.
Organizations like the SOGC host public conferences and provide educational resources through medical professionals to counteract unverified health claims found on digital platforms.
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