When you have momentum, you lean into it. And that’s how I felt when we were back on Beacon Hill for the second straight year of partnering with the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators on a symposium about women’s health. Last year, we laid the foundation about why women’s health is different, and this year, we went deeper into an often “taboo” topic that will impact 51 percent of the population: menopause. And we did so with an expert panel that featured Dr. Tejumola Adegoke, an OB/GYN at Boston Medical Center; Claire Gill, founder of The National Menopause Foundation; and Lucy Perez of the McKinsey Health Institute.
“There are the conversations that get the ball rolling,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll during her keynote remarks. “Learn together, problem solve together, make connections.” And that’s exactly how we address something that has been chronically underfunded and understudied.
When you raise awareness about a topic and bring different people, entities, and sectors together, action can follow, and results can be realized. Significant strides have been made, but we recognize there is still so much ground to cover.
On the topic of menopause – the crucial intersection of health equity and workplace inclusivity for women at mid-life and mid-career – the numbers are sobering but not surprising. The Society for Women’s Health Research published their EMPACT Menopause Study in January 2024:
- 59% of women felt uncomfortable asking for menopause accommodations, sharing comments on the stigma attached to menopause.
- 61% of employees and 70% of supervisors said no formal menopause policies are in place.
- And only 31% of women felt comfortable discussing their symptoms or experiences at work.
And the one that really hurts: one in four women considered foregoing or declined to pursue a leadership position, based on the realities of living and working with menopause. Twenty-five percent of the women surveyed who had the chance to lead decided against it based on their stage of life. Even at later levels of our careers, after making career decisions around childbirth and family planning, women are still asking themselves, “Should I take on more?”
As Claire Gill of The National Menopause Foundation said during the panel discussion, “We suffer through it quietly. We just deal with it. No more, Ladies.” She called on women to be vocal about their needs so that employers can be responsive; though she pointed out that many accommodations already exist (i.e., flex hours for child and elderly parent care), they simply aren’t referred to as “for menopause.”
It was heartening to hear Dr. Adegoke say that she was proud to live in Massachusetts because “a lot of this work has already been done” in the maternal health bill circulating at the State House. To her, it comes down to talking about menopause, normalizing the symptoms, and educating the clinical workforce across specialties so that they can provide care properly. “Just because menopause is normal and common, does not mean that it doesn’t need to be accommodated in the workplace,” she added, referencing the need for women to achieve full dignity. “There is a need for more education in the clinical space and in the community space,” Dr. Adegoke asserted.
And Lucy Perez, who is deeply involved in the McKinsey Health Institute’s work, laid bare the challenge of women’s health, specifically in drug development: “When women are not being counted, that minimizes the burden of disease,” and opportunities are missed. Too often, the question, ‘Are there sex-based differences,’ is not being asked, and that has a direct impact on what is and is not studied.
“We’re raising the awareness,” said Perez. “We’re seeing more dollars being directed to the basic science. We’re seeing that the biopharmaceutical industry is seeing this as more of an opportunity, but we need to lean in more.” She emphasized the disparities caused by undercounting. While one in two people will experience menopause, fewer than 20 assets are in development. Conversely, while diabetes is expected to impact one in ten people, more than 500 assets are in development.
We must, and we can do better. In fact, we are.
A fantastic article in Nature in late May discussed the rise of ‘femtech’—biotech companies that focus on women’s health, from fertility and pre-eclampsia to the symptoms of menopause. We’re proud to have some of them as MassBio members.
Advancements and funding for basic research into female biology are translating into more R&D and even company creation—venture capital funding for female-specific conditions was up eight percent in the first nine months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. That’s not nearly enough but it is a trickle that wasn’t there before. There is enthusiasm and excitement, but the Nature article did end with the reality check that there hasn’t yet been that inflection point where funders—VC or pharma—truly go ‘all in.’
I am heartened by the number of people – mostly women, though some men as well – who came out for the discussion. Dozens of legislators were not only there but engaged and asked questions. Many brought their young staffers with them, most who likely don’t know that perimenopause can begin as early as 35. As Rep. Carole Fiola noted, this is how the stigma and shame around ‘having your period’ ended – by talking; by sharing—opening the door to commonality and conversations.
Progress may seem slow, but many small steps forward translate into big leaps, and momentum is clearly on our side. I loved what Claire Gill said: “We need to make this women’s health moment a movement.”
That’s absolutely right. Let’s harness the momentum of this event and others to drive meaningful change. Let us amplify women’s voices across all sectors and industries, ensuring that our collective efforts pave the way for a future where every woman’s health journey is met with dignity, respect, and opportunity. Together, we can propel Massachusetts to new heights as a beacon of women’s health innovation, setting a global standard for excellence and equity.
