We decided to delve into just how bad the state of women's education about perimenopause and menopause and accessibility to sexual wellness treatments to address menopause symptoms in the US in our recent piece, The Sad State of Menopause Education & Treatments for US Women [New Studies]. What we found was not encouraging:
"Despite the fact that women spend more than 30% of their life in a menopausal state, only a quarter of women feel that they have been adequately informed by their healthcare provider about going through perimenopause and only 34% feel properly educated when it comes to menopause. According to the results, women are three times more likely to lack knowledge about perimenopause (21%) than pregnancy (7%), and 60% of women reported they are completely self-taught in terms of menopause knowledge."
I wasn't terribly surprised by what I discovered, as I personally have numerous friends going through perimenopause and menopause, who I discovered had absolutely no knowledge of the existence of treatments like bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. I was horrified after finding out so many people I care about are suffering the lifechanging and often frightening symptoms of perimenopause and menopause with no idea that there are treatments available that can provide them significant relief.
The fact that so many women don't know there are treatments that can make them feel like themselves again is unacceptable in this day and age. What's worse is that the general medical education and training for doctors on this subject is also sorely lacking unless one chooses to specialize in cosmetic gynecology, meaning that our general practitioners and even OBGYNs aren't being provided with the tools to educate their female patients or provide and advise them about many helpful treatment options.
4 Tips On Treatments for Menopause Related Symptoms
In our recent survey which asked, "Do you offer treatments for menopause related symptoms?" 53% of readers said yes, 27% said they are considering or planning to add treatments and 20% said no.
It is high time this lack of awareness about menopause in general and the treatment options for women was dealt with, and it is up to us to spread this knowledge and care to women needlessly suffering in silence. While the larger culprits mentioned in our article above may take a bit more work to address in order to improve education on this subject for clinicians in our educational institutions as well as the issues present in our healthcare system, regulatory agencies and with insurance providers, we can spread the word that change needs to happen and make sure we are adequately educated on the subject. Change come one step at a time, but that's progress nonetheless.
Here are four informative MedEsthetics articles to help you provide your patients the education they need and stay up to date on the latest treatment options for your menopausal patients.
- Ozempic Benefits for Menopause Symptoms: What Every Woman Should Know: New clinical observations show promising Ozempic benefits that help with menopause symptoms and create new possibilities for practitioners who treat menopausal patients. Women face complex hormonal changes during menopause and many experience metabolic challenges like insulin resistance and weight gain. Healthcare providers now see the value of GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide to help with these issues.
- The Sexual Wellness Revolution in Aesthetics: Cosmetic Treatments for Women: In recent years, the quest for sexual wellness has moved beyond the confines of traditional medicine to embrace a universe of cosmetic treatments designed specifically for women. This surge in interest underscores a broader cultural recognition of the importance of sexual health as a vital component of overall well-being. With advancements in aesthetic gynecology, women are now empowered to seek solutions that enhance sexual function, alleviate sexual dysfunction and boost sexual satisfaction through both non-invasive techniques and surgical procedures. This evolution marks a significant shift towards acknowledging and addressing women’s sexual health needs with the same vigor as other aspects of physical and mental health. Diving into the intricacies of sexual wellness, we explore the latest in cosmetic treatments available to women, including hormone therapy, labiaplasty, vaginal rejuvenation and more.
- Sex Ed: Barriers to Vaginal Rejuvenation Treatments: Vaginal rejuvenation treatments treatments would be hugely beneficial to a large demographic of women, especially mothers. The barriers to accessing vaginal rejuvenation treatments are financial and societal. They prevent some women from affording the treatment, prevent medical professionals from marketing the treatment and make women feel too self-conscious to pursue vaginal rejuvenation. Expanding access to this treatment and making it easier to market would potentially help millions of women. Here are the biggest barriers to expanded access to vaginal rejuvenation treatments.
- 4 Must-Watch Aesthetic Trends: Skin Care Supplements, Sexual Wellness & More From Aesthetic Next 6.0: In recent years, the quest for sexual wellness has moved beyond the confines of traditional medicine to embrace a universe of cosmetic treatments designed specifically for women. This surge in interest underscores a broader cultural recognition of the importance of sexual health as a vital component of overall well-being. With advancements in aesthetic gynecology, women are now empowered to seek solutions that enhance sexual function, alleviate sexual dysfunction and boost sexual satisfaction through both non-invasive and minimally invasive techniques, as well as surgical procedures. This growing trend was a major highlight at Aesthetic Next 6.0, with the increase in new treatments and trends around women's sexual wellness being represented in full force, a noticeable change from previous aesthetics industry meetings thus far. Featured treatments include a groundbreaking topical collagen stimulator for intimate areas as well as bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT).
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