The Menopause Movement: The Utah group asking for government support through this phase

SALT LAKE CITY — Menopause has become one of the biggest women's health conversations of the moment. But beyond the podcasts, books and social media posts, should the government be doing more to support women through it?

Emily McCormick is the founder of the Policy Project. That's the question they are bringing to policymakers. She believes menopause deserves attention partly because of where it often lands in a woman's life.

"It's such a special generation," she said. "We call it the 'sandwich generation.'"

Many women experiencing menopause are caring for aging parents while still supporting teenagers or young adult children.

"Women's health can be pretty misunderstood," she said. "There are some gaps there."

Current Gaps in the System

• More than 1 in 5 Utah women are in or approaching menopause.
• 59% of women in their 40s said they'd never heard of perimenopause.
• 90% of surveyed doctors feel unprepared to treat menopause.

The Policy Project recently helped pass legislation providing free period products in Utah schools, but McCormick said their work naturally led them to another stage of women's health.

"Now we're looking at women who are starting to age, and there is a gap there," McCormick said. "It's about 59% of women in their 40s have never even heard the word perimenopause and that's when it starts happening."

The concern isn't menopause itself. It's the lack of understanding surrounding it. Without the knowledge, many women find themselves experiencing symptoms they don't understand and don't know how to address.

The Provider Knowledge Gap Is a Major Concern

"90% of family practice docs and OBGYNs say that they don't have adequate training in menopause," McCormick noted.

That creates a frustrating situation for women. They recognize that something feels different but can't find answers.

"Not only do they not know what's going on, the providers sometimes don't know," McCormick explained.

She said that is a significant gap in care. Patients are looking for information while providers wish they had received more specialized training on the topic. That can leave women feeling stuck at a stage of life when they are already managing significant responsibilities.

Strategies to Close Gaps

• Make care easier to access.
• Better equip medical providers.
• Invest in Utah-specific research.
• Make trusted answers easier to find.

McCormick emphasized that policymakers aren't doctors, but she believes legislation can still improve the support around menopause.

"We are not providers, we're not medical professionals, but we work with them to determine what would make the most impact for women across the state of Utah," she said.

She explained that they really want to make sure the everyday woman has access to information that will help her understand what's going on with her body. She also said the organization is pushing for better education for healthcare providers.

"We wanna really help the providers," McCormick explained. "Helping them understand more what symptoms might be related to menopause."

One proposal McCormick is excited about is a centralized menopause resource center.

"What if there was one place a woman could go where she could see, like, oh my gosh, I have all these resources," she said.

The idea is to create a reliable source of information where women can learn what's normal, understand their symptoms and find professionals who can help.

Making Utah a Leader in Menopause Research

"There is so much we still don't know about menopause," McCormick emphasized.

She hopes universities and healthcare institutions across Utah can help close those knowledge gaps.

"Let's get the University of Utah, let's get Utah State, let's get some of our research professionals in the state to really lean in and help us understand more about menopause," she said. "Utah can become the leader in that and kind of help other states do the same."

McCormick said interest in this issue has been strong.

"I think that there is a lot of hunger out there," she said.

The response shows what many women have already been saying: they want better information, better support and better resources. McCormick also said there will be opportunities to get involved, including participating in events and engaging with the upcoming legislative process.

"We're gonna be asking our legislators to lean in and help the women in the state," she said.

Find out how to get involved at thepolicyproject.org.

This story originally aired on KSL TV and has been reformatted for a digital audience using artificial intelligence.