New practical video guides from the International Menopause Society

Half the world's population will experience the menopause. It can be a difficult time for many women and is made worse by a tidal-wave of misleading information on social media. Now women globally can now access reliable information about what the menopause is, how it might affect them and how to choose safe and effective treatment options.   All this information is contained in a set of easy-to-understand videos freely available from the International Menopause Society (IMS). The IMS is the international body representing doctors and scientists working with the menopause and the health of women in mid life, and so has an unrivalled authority in dealing with the variety of ways the menopause can affect women throughout the world.

These seven short videos cover a whole range of issues surrounding the menopause, including the issues women worry most about: weight gain, treatment safety, and sex after the menopause.  

The information is presented by prominent IMS members. The videos are short, running from around 4 minutes to around 13 minutes.  Each one covers a specific menopausal subject in bite-sized form. Three of the videos explain how women are affected by the menopause, and four of the videos cover treatment options, including menopausal hormonal therapy, prescription non-hormonal therapy and complementary therapies. All the videos are available to watch on YouTube.

Professor Susan Davis of Monash University, Melbourne, who is one of the presenters of the videos, said:

"All women go through the menopause, but surprisingly few women know where to find simple, relevant, credible information.  A woman needs to know the basics –these videos provide this information, and just a little bit more. In total they take around an hour to watch, which is not a bad investment for understanding something that affects you for the rest of your life.  We purposefully have presented each topic as a stand-alone segment, so women can choose how they want to watch them.

IMS President and co-presenter, Professor Rod Baber added "The IMS considers it a priority to offer high-quality practical evidence based information to women going through the menopause. I'd add that some of this information would be useful for the families and partners of women going through the menopause - understanding what happens and how to deal with it can help a whole family at a time of potential stress". He continued "The internet is a great source of information, but it is also a great source of misinformation, particularly where health is concerned. The IMS is the most authoritative global body dealing with the menopause, so we have a responsibility to make sure that good, reliable information is available to women going through the menopause".

Concluding, Dr Anna Fenton who presents two of the segments, said "The guidance in these videos is good, and women should use these as a way of understanding what's happening to them and how they might deal with it. It's still essential that any woman going through the menopause visits her doctor, and uses the visit as the occasion for a general health review".