Activist launches educational forum to debunk myths about menopause

The menopause activist and podcaster Rachel Lankester has launched an educational forum to support women and destigmatise menopause.

MenoClarity aims to provide women with clarity, balance and trustworthy information around menopause and highlight research and “evidence-based” infomation.

Lankester says she founded the platform to bring together a global group of like-minded doctors, scientists, academics and educators to balance the current narrative and refute the notion of menopause as a “hormone deficiency”.

However, the new forum will also question the over promotion of hormone therapy as the panacea for all female midlife and ageing ills, redress the frightening narratives surrounding menopause and demonstrate how positive life can be during the menopause transition, the founder adds.

“I’m passionate about accurate data and about changing negative narratives. I’m 56 and I’m not hormone deficient, nor do I want anyone to believe this narrative or become scared of transitioning through menopause,” Lankester explains.

“I don’t want women to be manipulated by unrealistic, factually incorrect marketing or scary headlines based on dodgy data interpretation.

“I’m deeply worried about the negative messaging, so prevalent in the UK currently, spreading globally,” she continues.

“Having been in the menopause educator world since 2015, I have witnessed this unfold. So I reached out to a number of women involved in menopause, who share my concerns.

“We’ve come together to redress the narratives and we welcome others who are also concerned, to join us.”

The founder members of MenoClarity are all either in perimenopause or post menopause and they have all worked in various connected and educational fields.

Joyce Harper, Professor of Reproductive Science at University College London and one of the founder members, says women’s health education is key.

“It is unacceptable that we are still working on this in 2023. It is great that in recent years the discussion about the menopause has become common place and is now on the school curriculum, but it is unfair that we have created such a negative narrative.

“It is essential that all women and GPs know what the symptoms are and how they can be treated.

She adds: “We must provide everyone with evidence-based education and not scaremongering. All women are individuals and will have a different menopause experience.”