Jennifer Young addresses healthcare professionals about a holistic approach to menopause
Sep 27, 2022Between 13th and 14th September 2022 the Women's Health Professional Care Virtual event was held, attended by healthcare professionals working across primary and secondary care. At the event, Jennifer Young spoke about her pioneering research into non-pharmaceutical solutions to the ‘symptoms’ of menopause.
A forum for advancement in women's healthcare
The Women's Health Professional Care Virtual event is an opportunity to gain insights into the latest thinking on improving service provision for women’s health. It presents a chance to discuss key topics and educational opportunities, seeing a number of key speakers bring new data, information and ideas to the conversation around women's healthcare.
Amongst the speakers were John Guillebaud, Professor in Family Planning and Reproductive Health at UCL; Emma Cox, CEO of Endometriosis UK; Judith Ibison Professor of Practice in Primary Care at St George's University of London; Dr Stephanie Cook, a GP from Liverpool with a special interest in Women’s Health; Emma Menzies, a Fertility at Work Coach and Consultant; and our very own Jennifer Young.
Understanding menopause better
In her presentation, Jennifer addressed the question: Is HRT the only truly holistic therapy for menopause?
In answer, she referred to the findings of her groundbreaking recent research, commissioned from the UK’s Keele University and the University of Birmingham to provide academic validation and statistical scrutiny about menopause. The research focused on the effectiveness of a variety of complementary therapies in supporting women during their menopausal years.
This research, as well as her own scientific background and education, enhanced her understanding of menopause, its treatment, and the efficacy of different holistic products and approaches to hormonal imbalance. All of this led her to launch MPlus, which has two sides to it - products and dedicated qualifications for spa therapists.
Read about Jennifer’s Hormonal Wellness Research
Giving women holistic options for menopause
To date, the options presented to women by the healthcare profession, when it comes to managing the unwanted consequences of menopause are limited largely to Hormone Replacement Therapies (HRT) and/or antidepressants. Data suggests that there is an estimated seven million women in the UK can’t use or don’t want to use HRT as a solution for unwanted menopausal consequences.
Jennifer presented a lively and informative session aiming to provide healthcare professionals with evidence-based alternatives for the many women who do not see pharmaceuticals as the solution to their problems. In addition, Jennifer provided insight into the day-to-day reality of menopause, at all stages, from perimenopause (roughly one in 100 women experience symptoms before the age of 40) to post-menopause.
Jennifer said: "Women need more support during menopause and they need more options. The information regarding holistic support is there, but we have to get it into the system - it has to be readily available at the point of contact with women. It's essential that GPs have the information at their fingertips to help women find the right approach to managing the consequences of menopause in a way that feels right for them. That way we can help keep women happy, healthy at work, at home and in themselves."
Jennifer Young's Diploma in Hormonal Wellness is designed to give spa therapists the knowledge and training they need to support the 13 million women of menopausal or perimenopausal age in the UK manage hormonal change holistically.
