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NHS Health Checks to Include Menopause Screening Starting Next Year
Starting next year, menopause screening will officially become a part of NHS health checks in England. Women between the ages of 40 to 74 who receive these checks every five years will now be asked about menopause symptoms. The goal is to identify women who may need advice, support, or treatment, such as hormone replacement therapy, to manage symptoms like hot flushes and receive counseling.
While the government views this move as bringing menopause into mainstream healthcare, campaigners raise concerns about the low uptake of health checks in some communities. They fear that not enough women may benefit from the inclusion of menopause screening. Health checks typically aim to identify individuals at risk of conditions like cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney disease, diabetes, and dementia through measures such as blood pressure and cholesterol checks, BMI measurements, and are usually conducted in pharmacies and GP surgeries.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting hopes that the addition of menopause-related questions will improve the support offered to women. The exact questions are yet to be finalized, but the initiative aims to encourage women to speak up about their experiences and seek help for symptoms that can significantly impact daily life. Menopause affects women differently, with most experiencing symptoms between ages 45 to 55, though they can start earlier during perimenopause.
Women’s Health Ambassador Dame Lesley Regan expressed support for including menopause questions in health checks, emphasizing the lack of knowledge among most women regarding menopausal symptoms. She highlighted that symptoms can last for years and greatly affect daily life. While the move is seen as a step towards reducing stigma around menopause, Prof Ranee Thakar of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists stresses the need for staff training to maximize positive impact. Additionally, efforts are needed to ensure women from ethnic communities and disadvantaged areas have access to NHS health checks.
Wellbeing of Women’s Janet Lindsay is hopeful that the inclusion of menopause screening will lead to more women understanding their symptoms and seeking necessary help. However, she echoes concerns about the low attendance rates for health checks, particularly among marginalized communities. With less than half of invited individuals actually attending health checks, there is a need for further outreach to ensure that no one is left behind in receiving crucial healthcare support
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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