Why We Took Menopause to Times Square
We put menopause on a billboard in the middle of New York’s Times Square. Here’s why that’s significant.
This 4th of July weekend, we made history by putting menopause on a giant billboard in the middle of New York’s Times Square. For an issue that still lacks open conversation but affects 1B+ women in world — the billboard signifies a big step forward for women’s health.
The Change
Menopause, a natural phase of every woman’s life, has long been shrouded in mystery, stigmas, and taboos. Currently, around 1 billion women in the world are in menopause. Yet, we wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve rarely heard of it, or had no idea what it entails. When does it happen? Why? Don’t women’s cycles just….stop…one day? Why is that a big deal?
In our research, we found that upwards of 60% of women in the US feel uninformed about menopause. And when women start their journey into perimenopause, 85% experience symptoms, and 84% of them say these symptoms disrupt their lives. For something that lasts 5 years on average, at a time when women are at the peak of their careers, you’d think there would be better awareness, knowledge, and information — both in the medical community and in society. But neither is the case. In fact, a study discovered that 80% of medical residents report feeling uncomfortable discussing or treating menopause. 80 percent!! Is there any other health issue for which we’d find this statistic acceptable? (Certainly not an issue that affects men…)
The unfortunate associations with aging and end of fertility have resulted in menopause becoming stigmatized in a society that primarily values women for our youth and baby-making abilities. Such is the reluctance to talk about menopause that it has taken on more ambiguous terms like “The Change” or “The M Word,” just to help people feel comfortable even mentioning it in conversations. Yet for something known as “the change,” the narrative around menopause has remained ironically…unchanged.
But not for long. Gen X women are now experiencing menopause and soon it will be millennials, and we want to do menopause differently. The twin forces of ageism and sexism are increasingly being called out and pushed back against. It’s time that discussions of menopause, too, be carried out with increasing transparency, honesty, and support — while recognizing the consequential period it represents in millions of women’s lives. Innovators have mostly been sleeping on this issue, but we’ve made it our mission at Caria to advance women’s post-reproductive health with better access, care, and community for every woman navigating menopause. It’s 2020, and change is coming.
It’s Time to Talk
The silence about menopause hurts women. 1/3 women say untreated symptoms of menopause impact their ability to work. Experts warn this can lead to women exiting the workforce at the peak of their careers.
Just like any stigmatized issue (infertility, mental health, etc), we believe change starts with conversation. We’re encouraging more women to speak up, ask questions, and demand better support and care. In our research, we found almost 60% of women feel isolated and alone during their journey. Normalizing this very normal phase of women’s lives is only possible if we reach out and talk with openness about our experiences, share advice, and support each other.
Building a Community
At Caria, we realized early on there were very few spaces on the Internet that were tailored for women in menopause to connect with each other in a safe place and find evidence-based advice and peer support. While there are thriving communities for motherhood and fertility, these spaces are not inclusive of women in menopause. Entering menopause is a fundamentally different experience for women — mentally and physically — and we deserve a space that is carved specifically for our needs in a new phase of life.
When the COVID-19 crisis began, the need for better care and community was stronger than ever. Over half of Caria’s user base indicated the lockdown and its stresses had worsened their menopausal symptoms, such as anxiety. That inspired us to launch Caria Community in June — a dedicated space for women to connect with others on a similar journey, share advice, vent, laugh, and support each other. Alongside community, Caria also offers women tools to track their health and get personalized support and insights.
A Global Conversation
We may have started in Times Square, but we want to take this conversation global. Caria currently supports thousands of women in over 20 countries. We consciously built a platform that is accessible and inclusive of people at every stage of menopause, in (almost!) every geography, and of every race/ethnicity/sexuality. As a WOC-founded company, we prioritize diversity and inclusion, being well aware that women’s experiences of menopause differ by culture, race, and ethnicity and women of color are more underserved when it comes to menopause care. We are also mindful that people who don’t identify as women experience menopause — and we want to support them. Menopause is a global issue, and we aspire to be a global community. Join Caria now to get started.
