Perimenopause and menopause is a natural transition for many women, often accompanied by a number of health issues associated with declining hormones. Of those women in menopause, 70–80 per cent will have symptoms, and 20 per cent will have severe symptoms. Yet, one in three women over 40 are not aware that treatment for symptoms of perimenopause and menopause even exist. Why? Because stigma around mature women’s health still runs deep, and so do outdated notions about care.
Grace Tong knows first-hand how access to care that prioritizes the needs of mature women can change everything. In her mid-forties, Grace began to experience symptoms of menopause that caused “dramatic” shifts in her mood, and affected her family and work relationships. When she was referred to Mount Sinai’s Menopause Clinic, she finally felt heard.
Her physician, Dr. Wendy Wolfman, a trailblazer in mature women’s health and holder of the Carol Mitchell Chair in Menopause, assessed her symptoms and found Grace a treatment that worked for her.
“If I’d not gotten the support I needed, I think I would not have been able to continue with my career,” says Grace.
Read the full story in our Annual Report here and learn about Sinai Health’s mission to improve access to care and break down silos around women’s health care.