By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A new survey suggests many Canadian women face significant barriers when seeking care for menopause, including delays in treatment and difficulty accessing appropriate support.
Research released by GreenShield, based on polling conducted by Ipsos, found one in three women waited more than two years to receive effective treatment for menopause symptoms, while nearly half reported waiting at least one year.
The survey of 1,000 Canadian women aged 35 to 60 points to what researchers describe as systemic gaps in care, with many respondents reporting difficulty recognizing symptoms, uncertainty about where to seek help and challenges being taken seriously by health-care providers.
Karma Stanley, a clinical nurse manager and clinical lead for GreenShield’s hormonal health program, said the barriers often begin with a lack of awareness.
“It starts with missed recognition,” she said in an interview. “There are more than 30 symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause, and it can be difficult to know whether what you’re experiencing is related to that hormonal shift.”
The survey found more than one-quarter of women did not initially recognize their symptoms as part of menopause, while nearly 40 per cent said they did not know where to go for care.
Stanley said that uncertainty can lead to long delays, with many women spending months or years researching symptoms, a challenge compounded by limited access to primary care.
“People don’t know when or how they should seek that care,” she said.
Even when women do access care, Stanley said some encounter what she described as “epistemic injustice,” where their experiences are dismissed or misunderstood.
“That includes situations where people are not believed, or where there isn’t a shared understanding to interpret their symptoms,” she said, noting that issues such as anxiety, mood changes or fatigue are sometimes attributed to stress or lifestyle rather than hormonal changes.
Common symptoms reported in the survey include fatigue, mood swings, “brain fog,” hot flashes, weight gain and anxiety. Fewer than half of respondents said they had discussed their symptoms with a health-care professional.
Stanley said many women delay seeking help until symptoms begin to affect their sense of identity or performance at work.
“What we often see is that people say they don’t recognize themselves anymore,” she said. “Cognitive changes like memory issues or brain fog can really erode confidence and professional credibility, and that becomes a tipping point.”
The impacts extend into the workplace, according to the findings. Nearly two-thirds of women said menopause symptoms affect their job performance, while more than half reported that time spent seeking care disrupted their work.
Despite this, only 13 per cent of respondents said their employer provides adequate menopause or hormonal health benefits.
Stanley said greater awareness, earlier intervention and more personalized care are key to improving outcomes.
“There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach,” she said. “Effective care can include medical treatment, but also lifestyle supports like nutrition, exercise, sleep and mental health care. It really needs to look at the whole person.”
She added that validation can play a critical role for women navigating menopause.
“It’s very reassuring for people to understand that what they’re experiencing is real, that it’s not personal failure, and that there are supports available,” she said.
By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun
