The Menopause Manifesto
Recently I’ve had an increase in cisgender female clients. Most of my expertise is with cisgender men and transgender women, so I sought extra education. This book has everything you ever wanted to know about menopause, but were too afraid to ask. It’s very accessible and easy to understand for those of us who got a C+ in science.
I love how Dr. Gunter talks about the importance of language. The word menopause indicates the “pausing” of menses. “We don’t define men as they age by an obvious physical change in their reproductive function. […] Now imagine a world where we said that men were in erectopause?” By naming menopause pejoratively, women do not feel comfortable talking about their experiences with their partners, their friends or their doctors. Dr. Gunter normalizes all of it.
Why do I care about my clients’ experiences of menopause? Physical health and mental health are linked—each impacts the other.
Hot flushes and an increased heart rate may lead already-anxious people to feel more anxious and may need to take more care to self-regulate.
The changes in the genitourinary system can lead people to changes in their sexual scripts. For example, penetration may not be an option due to dryness and pain. The good news is that enjoyable sex does not have to include penetration for anyone and lube is a game changer even for those without vaginal dryness.
Some of the normal menopausal symptoms may make a person feel less sexual and less confident with their partners—incontinence, hot flushes, insomnia. Desire changes over the course of a relationship. It is normal and we can work with it.
This book also educated on all the different ways that providers can treat the symptoms associated with menopause along with their risks. I appreciated her humor and encouragement for us to advocate with our healthcare providers.
