Following a successful campaign on menstrual health, which was crowned by the submission of a bill to the Sejm to provide free access to menstrual hygiene products and menstruation-related education, we are focusing on another issue important for women, yet still overlooked in the public domain. The complete disappearance of periods and the problems that occur before and after rarely get the attention of the media and are either virtually non-existent in cultural products such as movies, TV series or books, or are mocked and derided. Where to get relevant knowledge and how to deal with menstruation are questions answered by Kulczyk Foundation’s report titled ‘Menopauza bez tabu’ [Open Talk About Menopause].
‘Women who have not yet entered this stage of life do not usually hear about it from significant women around them such as mothers, friends, or colleagues, because menopause is still taboo’, observed the authors of the report. Anna Buchner, Katarzyna Fereniec-Błońska, Agnieszka Murawska and Maria Wierzbicka-Tarkowska from ‘Ciekawość’ [Curiosity] research group surveyed Polish women and men about menopause, and talked to experts.
In this report, they take a look at biological and medical aspects of menopause, how women define menopause, how they describe its symptoms, and their experiences in the area of healthcare and their interactions with healthcare professionals. Next, they focus on the socio-cultural dimension of menopause, the concerns, fears and shame, and identify the strongest stereotypes and associations related to menopause. They also point out potential directions to change the status quo and ways to support menopausal women in various aspects of their lives.
According to the study cited in the report, more than 70% of premenopausal Polish women rate their level of menopausal knowledge as poor. We hope the report helps to reduce this percentage, and that it becomes the contribution that sparks the change in our attitudes, awareness, relationships and careers. We aim to help women get through this important yet difficult time in their lives with dignity.
Make sure you download and read the report.
Download the survey report:
‘Menopauza bez tabu’ [Open Talk About Menopause] – a Kulczyk Foundation Report
Interested in the full survey findings?
Please contact us at: office@kulczykfoundation.org.pl
We will send you the longer version of the report.