Why Menopause Needs More Than a Moment, And Other Hormonal Questions Answered
A still from Bronwen Rhodes film, 'Menopause Stories'
Recently I have noticed a shift in the way I approach shopping for hygiene products. Even though I am well into my forties, up until a year ago I still felt sheepish having a box of tampons prominently visible in my shopping cart. Ridiculous as it may be, I would consciously avoid a checkout line with a male presenting checker when on my period. I purchased mesh underwear after childbirth with less shame.
Today, instead of inconspicuously (or so I thought) trying to hide the boxes under the cereal box or a bag of apples, I proudly display tampons - alerting everyone to the fact that yes, I am still having a period. Or, more specifically, I am, at least technically, still fertile. After chatting with Lauren Lee, Cofounder of Semaine, I realize my experience and embarrassment is not unique.
Semaine offers plant based, clinically tested hormonal supplements. What started as products for PMS and period supports has evolved to now include probiotics, urinary tract health (did you know your risk for UTIs increases as you age?), and peri/menopause health. I am sure you have noticed the latter has been having a moment of late. It was an email from Semaine stating that they are going to rename their peri/menopause line that prompted me to reach out to Lauren for an interview. Even amidst the celebrity-backed, well funded and well publicized peri/menopause line launches of late, many Semaine customers shared feedback that they want a name that doesn't draw attention to the contents of the bottle in their shopping cart. They were, in other words, a lot like me.
I spoke with Lauren about her experience both professionally and personally in this new hormonal landscape, the historical misogyny in the medical industry, who she believes is benefiting from the menopause movement and why we still have a long ways to go when it comes to stigmas around our aging bodies .
Tell us about how you segued into support for perimenopause and menopause from supporting those with endometriosis?
As someone navigating life and the medical system with an under researched condition like endometriosis, I see so much affinity with the people I know who have experienced perimenopause, menopause, and/or sudden menopause.
For one, I identify as a woman and have experienced being dismissed by doctors because everything I was experiencing was “normal” and there were few solutions to my normalized issues. Whether it was period pain, heavy bleeding, or a lump in my pelvis, I was continually told not to worry “and it’s just something that women go through.” There’s very little investigation that happens when a woman expresses health concerns because there is a lack of interest in understanding basic female anatomy. And that disinterest is based on centuries of intentional and unintentional misogyny with the ingrained belief that women are supposed to experience pain (through childbirth, periods, etc.).
We’ve seen this misogyny continue even now with the lack of women included in clinical trials and being prescribed pharmaceuticals that are based only on a cis-gendered, 70kg (white) male. Women’s hormones are deemed “too complex” to allow us to be easy test subjects but we are still marketed and prescribed drugs and given protocols only tested on men.
I see a lot of similarities in how culture has taught us to treat periods and how we’ve been taught to see menopause. They are both still taboo and something we only talk about using euphemisms like “aunt flo” and “the change”. People with periods are encouraged to just use hormonal birth control and “fight” through the pain, and people going through perimenopause and menopause are told to get on HRT or “just deal” with the insomnia, mood swings, and hot flashes.
What was one of the biggest surprises about working with a slightly different demographic, even though perimenopause symptoms often present sooner in people with endo?
One of the biggest surprises working with this demographic is the stigma that happens around aging. There’s definitely stigma around discussing periods and a lack of education around endometriosis, fibroids, etc. but it’s a different level of dismissal when you are no longer in your “reproductive years.” There’s a double-stigma of not just having “women’s issues” but also aging as a woman.
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On my endometriosis journey, I have found that doctors are willing to investigate and spend a longer time with me if I talk about wanting children (a window that is rapidly closing for me). It’s frustrating to only feel somewhat validated as a patient only if I bring up fertility or pregnancy, otherwise, the issues I raise are not followed up.
Obviously as a menopausal or postmenopausal patient, you wouldn’t be discussing fertility with your doctors. And I know for some of my peers (in their 40s), they don’t want to discuss menopause because it feels like “the end.” Which makes sense because culturally women are only deemed to be valuable during their “reproductive” years.
Having to navigate our own ingrained connotations around aging and being “productive” is extremely hard, and even harder in a society that dismisses anyone older than 40. We’re not set up to engage with perimenopause or menopause, and that makes it so much harder than any transition has to be. If we’re given the tools and education to know what’s happening, that’s life affirming and empowering rather than embarrassing, frustrating, and disruptive.
Menopause is definitely having a moment. What do you attribute this shift to? And, what stigmas do you find still exist despite the reclamation of transparency about this once this taboo life process?
Menopause is having a moment and I think that’s amazing! I’m glad celebrities are talking about it more and the wellness community is pushing hard to create an array of products for people experiencing perimenopause and menopause. But you are right! On the whole, the stigma still exists for most people.
I think menopause as a trend is happening because of the wellness revolution of the last 10-15 years mostly started by women. We experience more quality of life issues than men because of our hormones, and being more likely to have autoimmune diseases than men. I believe the wellness industry was a direct result of women trying to find answers for themselves because they weren’t being answered in doctor’s offices or by OTC meds on shelf.
Educating ourselves and finding more answers about our health has led to more research and interest in all stages of life. That said, “Wellness” is still only available to a few privileged and wealthy populations. So I think that’s great that some segments of the population are talking about it but it hasn’t changed the stigma around menopause for a more general population.
For instance, very few people we talk to know that menopause is one day of our lives (the day after 12 consecutive months of no period), and that everything before that is perimenopause and after is postmenopause. We aren’t taught the vocabulary to talk about our bodies to our loved ones or health care professionals. And I do think there is still a lot of stigma around aging in the US. Older women feel invisible, and none of us want to be ignored and not seen, but culturally we only applaud young people. And the ultimate goal is “looking so good for her age” rather than honoring everything we learn from going through 4, 5, 6+ decades of life.
Where can we find your products right now, and what's the best way to find out which formula we need?
Semaine Health supplements are available online at semainehealth.com, Thrive Market, and Amazon and in store at select Walgreens and, for our Texas friends, at H-E-B. We know supplement routines can be daunting, so we have a quiz on our website that will help you figure out what you need based on your symptoms, and here’s a quick cheat sheet:
For perimenopause: The Daily Hormone Balance, Menopause Essentials, PMS & Period Support (if your periods are more painful and/or irregular)
For menopause and postmenopause: Menopause EssentialsThe Daily Hormone Balance, Urinary Tract Cleanse & Protect (we are more prone to UTIs as our estrogen declines).
