Northern Ireland’s first conference dedicated to all things menopause and perimenopause has been announced.
The Menopause and Me (Menopause – Breaking The Taboo) event is being held in The Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim, on Sunday October 16 between 1pm and 5pm.
The event has been organised by Belfast woman Roisin Hillman, the force behind the Menopause Support Group Northern Ireland on Facebook.
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The Support Group was only set up last year and already has over 3,500 members. The event will be addressed by the Health Minister, Robin Swann.
A spokesperson said it's a chance for women to gather in a safe and supportive environment to hear guest speakers telling their personal stories.
Women will also get medical advice from some of Northern Ireland’s leading experts on the topic, including lifestyle and weight loss.
Roisin told Be: "Probably on a weekly basis [the group] gets about 50 more members.
"I knew that it was coming up to World Menopause Day so in June I had been chatting to Diane Danzebrink who runs a menopause support group in England.
"We were talking about what we could do to raise the profile here in Northern Ireland.
"It's a ticketed event... It's non-profit event. Any money that's left will go to a local charity.
"Because our Health Minister is going to be addressing it, I hope that it will highlight it in Government and that our local MLAs might start to recognise the need for better support and education around women's health and how much it needs to be prioritised."
Roisin said she was motivated to organise the event when she realised what “little help there is out there to properly inform women when they need it the most.”
She says she also noticed 'a lack of practical support' with many women keeping quiet about their experiences and not always wanting to reach out to friends, work colleagues or their GPs.
Roisin said: “Most women aren’t prepared for this tumultuous time which can descend from nowhere and change a woman practically overnight.
"The night sweats, the weight gain, the mood swings the insomnia – for some it’s a rollercoaster and a car crash all in one, leaving many women wondering where to turn. Compounding it all, some GP’s lack the knowledge to help, especially in the case of peri-menopause symptoms, which can significantly impact some women up to 10 years before menopause begins.”
She said it is important to note that many women aren’t affected at all.
The conference will address symptoms, treatment and HRT, lifestyle, weight gain, exercise, low libido and how to keep down a job at the same time.
A spokesperson added: "It will also send a loud message to health professionals that women and menopause symptoms must be treated seriously."
“This conference is going to be amazing – those who attend will leave feeling empowered and ready to embrace this new stage in life. Menopause shouldn’t be feared – it’s a stage of life that can be managed well and I want every women coming along to leave feeling prepared with all their support tools at the ready," Roisin added.
Women of all ages and stages of life are welcome to go along, as well as health professionals.
The expert panel includes:
Dr Siobhan Kirk – a menopause specialist and associate Specialist in Gynaecology
Dr Gwyneth Hinds – a retired doctor who worked in NI’s cancer centre including looking after women experiencing the menopause
Dr Jenny Johnston - GP, reader at QUB in Med ED
Jackie Sharkey – a Yoga, fitness and lifestyle expert
Anne McGale – a practice nurse who knows her menopause issues and tips inside out
BBC NI Health Correspondent Marie-Louise Connolly will host the event
Tickets are £25 each, include a buffet and can be booked HERE.
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