The International Menopause Society (IMS), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), has designated October as World Menopause Awareness Month. Although it is a natural part of the aging process, menopause creates much uncertainty and worry among women. To counteract this stigma, the awareness month promotes talking openly about menopause, and encouraging ways to embrace this phase. Sure, there are undesirable symptoms, like hot flashes, but there are also some upsides – think, no more periods, PMS, or sex with pregnancy worries. It can also be a time to enjoy the increased self-confidence and personal freedom that menopause often brings.
This month, to promote awareness and comfort around menopause, we at Soul Source want to share some incredible resources for health professionals and women in general provided by the North American Menopause Society (NAMS). We are honored to participate in their conference each year and to support women’s health.
NAMS mission is to “Promote women’s health at midlife and beyond”. A wealth of information can be found on their website: www.menopause.org. This includes:
The Menopause Guidebook
Fully updated with the latest guidelines on symptoms of menopause and issues of midlife women’s health, The Menopause Guidebook contains information on the most effective treatments for hot flashes, the genitourinary syndrome of menopause, mood changes, osteoporosis, sexual health concerns, and much more.
Practitioners can also obtain the Menopause Practice: A Clinician's Guide, featuring the latest clinical practice information for professionals.
Videos Series
Explore dozens of videos for women and practitioners on important midlife health topics. This treasure chest of expert-led videos covers wide-ranging concerns, including hormone therapy, sexuality in midlife, birth control and perimenopause, managing menopause symptoms, and many more invaluable topics.
Find FAQs answered by experts on common topics, including understanding the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, and handling premature menopause. There are also dedicated hubs, like this in-depth, Sexual Health and Menopause Online resource center.
Women can Find a Menopause Practitioner that is a NAMS Certified Menopause Practitioner. These healthcare clinicians have passed a competency examination, thereby assuring the highest quality of care for women. Practitioners interested in becoming certified can learn about certification here. This credential is valid for three years and can be maintained either by passing a new examination or by submitting appropriate continuing medical education credits in this field.
We at Soul Source encourage all women to be proactive in their health care and to learn as much as they can about menopausal changes and aging.