Menopause Toolkit

The Hon. AILEEN MacDONALD (16:30:22):

My question is addressed to the Minister for Women, Minister for Regional Health, and Minister for Mental Health. Will the Minister update the House on what the Government is doing to support women experiencing symptoms of perimenopause and menopause?

The Hon. BRONNIE TAYLOR (Minister for Women, Minister for Regional Health, and Minister for Mental Health) (16:30:49):

This is one of my favourite topics and I am excited to answer the honourable member's question on World Menopause Day. It has been a hot minute since I last spoke about menopause in the Chamber. I am very excited to announce that the New South Wales Government has today launched a free menopause tool kit. You ask: What is that? It is similar to the Return to Work Toolkit and the Women's Financial Toolkit; the Menopause Toolkit provides clear and accurate information about the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, as well as the location of New South Wales Government-funded clinics where women can access support services.

One in five women experiences severe or prolonged menopause symptoms and so many women suffer in silence. Common symptoms may include night sweats, mood swings and trouble sleeping, but women can also experience bone thinning, which can lead to fractures, which can have very detrimental effects; heart disease and stroke; and high blood pressure—probably far worse than the high blood pressure this Chamber can give us occasionally. It is important that we do discuss women's health and wellbeing and that we break down the stigma around perimenopause and menopause. I want every woman in New South Wales to know that they no longer need to keep calm and carry on, because together we can smash the taboo and we can discuss menopause. I have never heard the Chamber so quiet during one of my answers.

The Menopause Toolkit is in addition to the $40 million in funding committed in the 2022-23 budget to support women through menopause via a network of dedicated health services. Our package is an Australian first and it will see us establishing 16 holistic menopause services across New South Wales, including four specialised hubs operating in a hub-and-spoke model. The new hubs and services will support what we predict to be about 5,500 women each year and will include virtual consultations, making sure that every woman receives the support that she needs.

As part of this funding, we will also deliver a State-wide education and awareness campaign focusing on the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause to equip employers with accurate information and also, most importantly, equip GPs with the latest resources and information because we know that we can treat the symptoms and treat them well. But we need to educate our doctors about being able to treat the symptoms and encourage women to come forward and talk about those symptoms so that they can get the help that they need. We know that menopause can have a real effect on the economy because women are unable to work to their full potential.

We need to make sure that we tell women that it is okay to talk about it, it is important to talk about it and to seek the help that they need. I thank the Treasurer, Matt Kean, for funding this initiative and supporting how important it is, because the women of New South Wales do not need to suffer in silence. Let's normalise talking about menopause. It is a really important issue; it is not a joke. It is not funny; it can be very detrimental to lots of women, so let's talk about it and let's get on with it.

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