Organizations call for more support for women in menopause

Ocivil society organizations call for specialized consultations in the SNS, involving treatments and measures of labor protection in menopause, in a letter of recommendations that alert to non-compliance with the deadline for presenting the national strategy.

Disclosed on World Menopause Day, today, the Letter of Recommendations on Menopause, promoted by the Association for Family Planning, the Collective and EsqLab, intends to contribute to the public debate, presenting recommendations in three areas: Access to health care, protection at work and literacy and awareness.

The entities state in the document that “menopause is a natural phase of life that affects a significant part of the population, but remains surrounded by silence, misinformation and lack of adequate response by health services.”.

“ Despite the media and parliamentary advances in recent years, with proposals for the extension of Family Planning consultations and the prediction of a National Strategy for Rights in Menopause, organizations warn that “the deadline for implementation of the National Strategy (expected for mid-2026) has been exceeded without implementation by the Government”.

They also note that the strategy is not included in the proposal of the State Budget for 2027: “It is therefore necessary not only to propose new measures, but to require the implementation of those already approved, with funding, deadlines, responsibilities and mechanisms for monitoring and public accountability.”.

The organizations call for specialized consultations and responses in the SNS, the training of professionals and a dedicated response through the SNS 24 Line. They also recommend the standardization of access to hormonal and non-hormonal therapies and the participation of treatments.

The document proposes to strengthen information on menopause and combat the misleading misinformation and marketing of supplements and treatments without scientific evidence, as well as to promote inclusive care that recognizes and validates “the diversity of all orientations and identities, as well as the reality of people with non-normative bodies”.

“ Menopause is not an exclusive experience of women. Trans men and non-binary people with ovaries can also live through menopause and often face increased barriers in access to adequate health care and information adjusted to their identity ", alert entities.

In the workplace, they advocate measures to adapt working conditions to the needs of those undergoing menopause. Among the proposals are flexible hours, pauses, possibility of teleworking without loss of income, and integration of the theme in Occupational Medicine and collective hiring.

The organisations also recommend active supervision by the Working Conditions Authority and the Committee on Equal Employment to prevent situations of discrimination or professional penalty associated with menopause.

In the area of literacy and awareness, the letter proposes public campaigns of information without stigma, the inclusion of the theme in health education curricula and a positive approach to sexual health and pleasure in aging.

It also proposes promoting research on menopause in Portugal and collecting data to support public policies.

The document results from the collaborative work carried out at the Menopause Days on October 10, which brought together health professionals, researchers, activists and representatives of civil society.