A new organization is hoping to break down the stigma around menopause.
The Menopause Foundation of Canada is a national advocacy organization and the team behind the organization is hoping to raise awareness also about experiences that women may go through during menopause.
Janet Ko, the co-founder of the organization said now is the time to break down the taboo surrounding the topic, adding that too many women are often "blindsided" by the issue, which Ko said is an even more reason to promote conversation around menopause.
Ko explained to The Sam Laprade Show on Oct. 7, that women aged 40 to 60 were interviewed for a national research report and the results, she said, from the report were shocking to say the least.
"What we found is that one in two women are unprepared for this stage of life," she said, adding that more than half the women who were interviewed believed that the subject of menopause is still considered taboo."This is 2022, and no topic is off-limits, yet we are not having the conversation about menopause,"
Ko said that the lack of conversation around menopause can cause women to feel isolated, adding that four in 10 women experience isolation around the topic.
Dr. Lindsay Shirreff, a menopause specialist at the Mount Sinai Health System, said women can experience even early stages of menopause before the age of 40 and that conversations around the topic should start early.
Both of them recommend that people who may have questions about menopause reach out to their family doctors or menopause specialists.
You can listen to the full conversation with Janet Ko and Dr. Lindsay Shirreff below:
