Government has excluded women over 55 from survey on reproductive health and the menopause!

[IwantToRetire]

Older women are furious after being excluded from a major government survey about reproductive health.

The Department of Health announced on Thursday a 'landmark' online questionnaire covering every aspect of reproductive health from periods and contraception to pregnancy and the menopause.

Ministers said they wanted to hear about the experiences of women across England, including the challenges of going through the menopause at work, to shape future policy.

But details of the survey revealed it is only open to women aged between the ages of 16 and 55.

The Women's Rights Network campaign group called on health ministers to address the oversight.

It said: 'Potentially useful survey - but doesn't want the views of women over 55.
'All that experience of reproductive health is apparently not important or needed at all - even in respect of menopause. Utterly bizarre.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12498099/Fury-women-age-55-excluded-major-government-survey-reproductive-health.html

Surely women over 55 are able to contribute more than younger women on the basis that they have probably not only given birth and gone through the menopause. ie they have the lived experience.

How did anyone, ie whoever was delegated to actual create the survey even begin to think that excluding older women was logical.

Women with penises are in though right?

I’m older,62, post menopause and still having gynaecological issues. I had a “period” two months ago and being fast tracked to a gynaecologist appointment following an internal scan . I’m also still sexually active. So I’d have thought my experiences relevant .

Hope you are okay.

But yes your post and I am sure there will be others that will show it is ridiculous to have a cut off age, and especially one so young.

But even if someone was post everything, why would their experience from earlier in their lif (not forgettinge not be relevant.

Every experience needs to be included if the Government really wants to address the many issues of being someone with a female body and working (not forgetting still having to do work in the home).

Are we just as a society becoming totally stupid or did they just farm out this survey to some intern filling in time between leaving school and going to university?

...including the challenges of going through the menopause at work...

Plenty of women over 55 are going through the menopause at work! Bizarre to exclude them.

what the fucking actual fuck?

Utterly bizarre! Never mind the fact that women would remember their experiences, have they forgotten that the retirement age isn't 55?

Anyone got a link to the survey?

Are we just as a society becoming really stupid.... you really need to ask?! 🙂

I'm still reeling from a query in my day job this week from someone who really should have known better. They were wondering why they couldn't find any evidence about "cisgender women" in a database of papers from medical journals.

Er, because most doctors and trained medical scientist types understand actual biology, you twit. Plus if they trust you most clinicians will make it pretty apparent they haven't swallowed the NHS management Comms sponsored late to the party over fashionable EDI KoolAid. So, you know, just using women/female to search is more likely to retrieve accurate and relevant evidence.

(I will need to change my username after this post otherwise I'll probably be marched off for reconditioning and possibly be made to kneel down in front of the local Comms approved LGBTQ+ brigade. The irony being that I'm female with a female partner. And once I would have described myself as ultra woke and tolerant. It's all gone way too far now though and anyone who can't see the underlying misogyny just isn't paying attention.)

And yes, it's a bloody disgrace that evidently 55+ women don't apparently matter in the consultation. I bet it was some bright young 23 year old male Comms NHS management trainee who devised the questionnaire. I'd almost put money on it.

😂

I think - though I’m not sure, and not sure if I can be bothered to check - that the original study that put the “average age of menopause” at 51, involved women within a limited age range, perhaps 45-55?
As someone who was still having regular, heavy periods well into my sixties, and knowing others in the same situation, I’m sceptical about any of the received wisdom with regard to the menopause.

But that makes perfect sense.

At the age of 55, women (at least, those women who were born with xx chromosomes, y’know, vagina-havers), shrivel up into old crones. It isn’t like they made any useful contributions to the world beforehand anyway. And they can’t have children anymore so they won’t be having sex. And menopause happens at the age of 50 and it only lasts a week so they won’t have any current relevant experience. And, of course, they are invisible anyway so why would you bother?

🙄

I was still having regular periods at 57

Shockingly ignorant, but entirely in keeping with the current government.

I'd put money on a man choosing those age parameters. Absolutely disgraceful discounting women with decades of experience of reproductive issues.

My best friend is 57, working full time and still going through menopause! It’s ridiculous that my experiences (5 years younger) count but not hers, when all our other circumstances are the same.

Me too.

And of course this lady gave birth at 59 after conceiving naturally (no fertility treatment). OK, very unusual, but it happened.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1560739/UK-woman-59-worlds-oldest-natural-mother.html

Age 55+would be considered late onset menopause

So clearly a good percentage of women going through menopause are excluded

Symptoms lasting well into your 60's are standard

Wtf

So a 16 year old who maybe only just started their periods and has never had sex can answer, but a 55 year old woman who's had 40 years of periods, birthed three children and been through menopause whilst working can't answer?

What the actual fuck?

They assume our memory is ducked by menopause

Or perhaps they don't want post menopausal women to speak their minds - because at our age we are much more likely to say what we think ? ?

I saw this too and was - still am - really bloody annoyed. To me it smacks of not a) actually wanting to change anything and b) the way that "older" women are viewed by society.

Very disappointing and I am struggling to think of any other group who would have been cut out of something they have "lived experience" of, especially such a lot of the "lived experience". I mean you couldn't find a group more experienced!

I’ve just emailed Maria Caulfield to complain.

Disregarding the opinions and 'lived experience' of women over 55 is very 'on fleek' as they say.

Who is she and how would you find her email address ?

Sorry - upset tummy CBA to google