Mission

the queer menopause MISSION is:

  1. To raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ experiences of menopause.

  2. To find and promote inclusive menopause resources.

  3. To push for better education for therapists and healthcare practitioners about the needs of LGBTQIA+ people in menopause.

Many mainstream menopause resources exclude the experience of people who are not cisgender and/or not heterosexual. They are also often very white-focused. This state of affairs reflects the public conversation promoted in the mainstream media and in education.

One of the outcomes of this is that, unfortunately, we can’t assume that doctors, healthcare practitioners, and therapists have sufficient training in:

  • Gender and sexuality, (as well as race, class, and disability), in general

  • LGBTQIA+ identities in particular

  • The impact of menopause

  • Let alone when occurring together!

Terminology guide here

Groundbreaking research

In 2019 I researched the experiences of LGBTQIA+ menopausal people in therapy and the wider healthcare system. My paper is published online by the Taylor & Francis peer-reviewed journal Sexual and Relationship Therapy. (Find out more about my research here.) SRT is the in-house journal of the therapist member organisation COSRT, the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists.

Up till now there has been almost no research done on this topic. I started the project after a number of conversations with friends, because it felt important and timely to start a conversation. I am hoping other researchers will take things further as there are many different strands to this subject.

WHO IS THIS SITE FOR?

Individuals seeking information and support, and practitioners seeking to upgrade their knowledge.

You don’t have to be LGBTQIA+ to use this site. My aim here is inclusion and there are many groups whose menopause-related needs are not being met and deserve to be amplified.

It’s very clear that the needs of cisgender heterosexual women, the largest single group that experiences menopause, are currently not being met. While this is undeniable, it’s also true to say that the majority of menopause research has been done with white North American/European women. Although this situation is changing, it needs to change faster.

There’s a lot of work to be done.