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.

https://members.parliament.uk/member/4492/contact

Furious about this.

This is entirely deliberate I’m sure. Skewer it towards younger women who haven’t yet experienced going through menopause at work or how shit healthcare is for older women.

I think it's all women not older women who are angry about this. I want mine and my daughter's health to be better understood by analysing the experiences of all women. I know many older women who still experience menopausal symptoms into their 70s and 80s. I also know that they have never been to the GP about them so those symptoms are hidden. I believe that if information was sought from all women we would find that some of the 'rarer' menopausal symptoms aren't so rare afterall.

Also do they think reproductive organs just fall out at 55? Surely issues concerning those organs are part of reproductive health?

I'm another one, aged 58, still regular periods, only recently went on HRT.

Perhaps the youngster who created the survey couldn't comprehend that women over the age of 55 are still capable of accessing the internet

I’m 55 and still having fucking periods and going through menopause; I just want it all to stop! Also have 3 DC.

So yes, I think I probably have something of value to add that a 16 yr old quite probably doesn’t!

I’ve just completed the survey (as I do support the idea of this survey and that this is an area that should be looked at) but added in the comments that the survey should include over 55s.

The other key omission I thought is that it doesn’t ask any questions about history of miscarriage (only if you’ve experienced a miscarriage in the last year) so also added that to my comments.

There's a lot that makes me cross lately. Probably because I am a seemingly invisible menopausal woman of 56. But this has honestly tipped me over the edge.

The Press Release states:
"Findings from the survey will then be used to better understand women’s reproductive health experiences over time. The vital information gathered about the lives and experiences of women will inform current and future government decision-making and health policy".

I read through the survey, thinking that surely it would be obvious why the age range was chosen. But no. It does not question in depth but most of it is completely pertinent to women over 55.

I have emailed Professor Dame Lesley Regan (Women’s Health Ambassador for England) and Dr Rebecca French (Associate Professor of Sexual and Reproductive Health Research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) as well as Maria Caulfield. Simply to ask what the thought process was.

According to ONS, the 2021 census gives 30.4 million women in the UK.
Mid-2020 figures estimates 11,047,981 women over 55 in the UK. (I know the survey is just for England, but couldn't find a country breakdown).

Frustratingly I can't find any figures for 65+, 75+, so can't break it down any further. And I know an effective survey needs a cut-off age. But the figures do suggest that a rather significant chunk of the UK female population has been, what? Ignored? Forgotten? Deemed irrelevant?

She’s the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Women's Health Strategy and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women (since October 2022).
Her email address is [email protected]

(All MP’s email addresses are in this format.)

Are they discretely looking at women in the workplace and how childbirth and care affects economics?

Am 55-am I in or out?!!!
have emailed. Short sighted at best, criminal waste of public funds at worst. She’s 50 herself-pointed that out in my email that soon she will also be considered as not having or needing a voice 🧐

Given the issues with a huge group of women having their pension age raised then 55 still is a pointless cutoff that would exclude tens of thousands of women working til 65 as a minimum.

I'm 41 and really pissed off about this survey cutting over 55s. There's no justification for it and it means the data will be flawed once the survey is complete.

I filled it in just so I could complain about this. Also the "How was your gender described at birth?" question (It MIGHT have said sex, I can't remember now, but probably said gender)

I've met a few government Social Researchers in my time. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the sample was decided by someone who also burbles on about pregnant people in the name of inclusion.

The email you need to complain is

[email protected]

as Ms Caulfield will only accept emails from her constituents. You need to include your address and telephone number as well.

I have emailed Professor Dame Lesley Regan (Women’s Health Ambassador for England) and Dr Rebecca French (Associate Professor of Sexual and Reproductive Health Research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) as well as Maria Caulfield. Simply to ask what the thought process was.

I think Dr Rebecca French is the person to contact about this. Her name and email (along with that of another academic involved ) are on the survey.

If you would like any further information, please use the contact details below to contact the researchers who can answer any questions you may have about the study. Contact details
Principal Investigator: Dr Rebecca French, [email protected]
Dr Melissa Palmer, [email protected]

Link to the survey on this page:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/landmark-survey-seeks-womens-views-on-reproductive-health

Even if that’s the idea, it’s still daft. Apart from anything else, many women over 55 still either have teenagers (supporting teens through exams is still parenting!) or provide care for grandchildren.

Thank you OldCrone - I had emailed Dr Palmer too, but hadn't copied and pasted her into my message.

I thought Professor Regan made sense because of her position.

This misses the opportunity to collect data from a cohort of women who have experienced menopause and can look back on phases with hindsight. An incredibly valuable source of insight overlooked. How very very odd and how unintelligent.

Totally rubbish, but then so is the survey! As far as I can tell, it doesn't account for the possibility of being self-employed, so there's a whole raft of irrelevant but compulsory questions about how your work deals with menstrual issues. My line manager is neither sympathetic nor unsympathetic - I don't have one! But there is no 'not applicable' box that I can see.

I’ve just completed it. The questions are very trite, and seem aimed at getting superficially positive feedback, due to the nature of the questions. Also no way to give information on historic elements of one’s reproductive health, such as multiple miscarriages more than a year ago.

Also just answered it - agree that it's superficial questions. I don't miss much time for period pain (endometriosis so it can be awful) but only because I work from home! Just picking a box that says 1 day a month on average affected doesn't really tell the full story there...

Anyway, I complained about the lack of 55+ being allowed to answer and also pointed out my sex was observed not described, though I don't hold out much hope for specific change on those points.

What an absolute load of tripe.

Of course, don't you know that women over the age of 55 become irrelevant due to the widely held misogynistic perception that we are neither use nor ornament once are looks start to 'fade' (not true - only if held up to a stereotypical ideal of youth).

The notion that women will be done and dusted with their menopause at 55 is ignorant in the extreme. I'm almost 59 and whilst undoubtedly having some peri symptoms, am still having regular periods every 5 to 6 weeks (which is my lifelong pattern). I've been investigated and cleared of any concerns. I'm still working full time, still have a dependent child at home. But I can't contribute my experience, my issues, as I (and others 55 plus apparently no longer matter).

In any case, those women who have come out the other side will have a complete and valuable history to share - if only they were allowed a voice. I agree with a previous poster who suggested this smacks of lip service as the age restrictions will collect very skewed data. Funny that.

Also noted that there's no option for "caring responsibilities" in the What you did Last Week question.