The Trust's Menopause Champions have compiled comprehensive information based on lived experience. Below are some more resources to support you through menopause, at work and at home.

Menopause Champions

Menopause champions are volunteer staff who:

• Recognise that menopause can be an issue in the workplace and women need support.
• Talk openly, positively and respectfully about the menopause.
• Actively support and inform those affected by the menopause.
• Inform and educate their colleagues and managers to create a supportive, inclusive workplace.

To contact please email sft.menopausechampion@nhs.net and your email will be forwarded to one of the Menopause Champions. 

Menopause Workforce Pledge

Prioritising the health and wellbeing of our people is important here at Salisbury, which is why we’ve signed up to the Menopause Workforce Pledge and committed to:

Recognising that the menopause can be an issue in the workplace and women need support:

• Talking openly, positively and respectfully about the menopause
• Actively supporting and informing those affected by the menopause
• Informing and educating their colleagues, friends, and managers to create a supportive, inclusive workplace.

You can view the Menopause Policy and Procedure here.

Menopause Information Pack for Organizations (MIPO) is a free, open access suite of resources to help workplaces support menopausal transition informed by internationally recognized research. https://www.menopauseatwork.org/free-resources

Menopause and the Workplace

Menopause Awareness Training (MLE) 

(Photo source: https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/menopause-awareness/)

The module (which takes 20 minutes to complete) and has been developed specifically for NHS staff, covers everything from the common symptoms of the menopause to how it can impact people at work and how colleagues can support colleagues going through the transition. Book onto the training here.

The Healthcare Library have a Menopause Resource List which lists helpful websites and books on perimenopause which are available to borrow from the Library. Email sft.library.office.office@nhs.net for a copy.

The NHS and Self-Care Forum have created a factsheet to help understand and manage perimenopause symptoms: https://www.selfcareforum.org/menopause/

The Menopause section under “Supporting Our Staff” on the staff intranet (SALi) contains more helpful resources. Note: You can only access the staff intranet when using a device connected to Salisbury's Network.

(Photo source: https://www.needpix.com)

Is there such a thing as a "male menopause"?

The male menopause sometimes called the 'andropause' is an unhelpful term sometimes used in the media. The label is misleading because it suggests the symptoms are the result of a sudden drop in testosterone in middle age, similar to what occurs in the female menopause. This is not true. 

Although testosterone levels fall as men age, the decline is steady at about 1% a year from around the age of 30 to 40, and this is unlikely to cause any problems in itself.

Some men develop depression, loss of sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and other physical and emotional symptoms when they reach their late 40s to early 50s.

Other symptoms common in men this age are:

• mood swings and irritability
• loss of muscle mass and reduced ability to exercise
• fat redistribution, such as developing a large belly or "man boobs" (gynaecomastia)
• a general lack of enthusiasm or energy
• difficulty sleeping (insomnia) or increased tiredness
• poor concentration and short-term memory

These symptoms can interfere with everyday life and happiness, so it's important to find the underlying cause and work out what can be done to resolve it.

For more information on how to manage these symptoms click here.