Menopause Report a Solid Foundation for Improving Care
·ÛºìÅ®ÀÉ supports recommendations outlined in the Senate Committee’s report on Issues into Menopause & Perimenopause.
·ÛºìÅ®ÀÉ
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
The Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs has released its report on its Inquiry into the Issues related to menopause and perimenopause. ·ÛºìÅ®ÀÉ has been highly supportive of the Committee’s Inquiry into this important area of women’s health, filing a comprehensive written submission in March 2024 and participating in the Committee’s public hearing schedule. The College is grateful to the SA-NT State Committee Chair, Dr Heather Waterfall, for representing ·ÛºìÅ®ÀÉ at the Committee hearing in Adelaide on 5 August 2024.
·ÛºìÅ®ÀÉ’s submission and testimony has highlighted the need to take a holistic approach to issues relating to menopause and perimenopause. There is a wide variation of symptoms experienced by those with menopause or perimenopause, but a lack of consensus on what symptoms are causal and which are correlated.
There must be a focus on destigmatising menopause and perimenopause, being mindful of the impact which extends beyond just a health condition, affecting work and quality of life. There also needs to be a better appreciation of the value of Menopause Hormone Therapy, while not over-simplifying and treating it as the only option.
Recommendations
·ÛºìÅ®ÀÉ is pleased that the Committee has recommended a range of actions. which ·ÛºìÅ®ÀÉ looks forward to furthering progress on:
Recommendation 11 – Expanding education & training
As the lead training and standards body for women’s health in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, the College looks forward to working collaboratively with other medical colleges and relevant partners to lead the enhancement of curricula with best international practice, improve multidisciplinary education and training, and expand public awareness campaigns for menopause and perimenopause.
Recommendation 14 – MBS Reform
We must consider the need to reform the MBS through the larger, ongoing, gender-bias review, to ensure that relevant items are fit-for-purpose to care for people with these conditions, and this is something for which ·ÛºìÅ®ÀÉ has long been advocating. The College welcomes the opportunity to further collaborate with the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care (the Department) to guide the development of additions to the Schedule specific to menopause and perimenopause.
Recommendation 16 and Recommendation 18 – Addressing medicine shortages & improving access and affordability
Importantly the Committee has recognised the significant issue of medicine shortages (also echoing an outcome of the College’s recent Roundtable which sought to improve access to medications and devices in pregnancy and women’s health) with regard to Menopause Hormone Therapy (previously known as Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT) and the requirement to act across a number of realms to ensure provision of adequate medication is sustainable and affordable. ·ÛºìÅ®ÀÉ has initiated discussions with the Department, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and looks forward to working with collaboratively on solutions to ensure sure MHT is both affordable and accessible.
Recommendation 24 – Developing a National Menopause Action Plan
As an active member of the National Women’s Health Advisory Council providing strategic advice to government on improving Australia’s health system for women and girls, ·ÛºìÅ®ÀÉ is supportive of the development and implementation of a National Menopause Action Plan.
With these recommendations and the rationale contained in the report, the Committee has set a suitable foundation to address the whole-of-society approach to improving care for women experiencing menopause and perimenopause. The College is eager to collaborate with all relevant partners to support the implementation of these recommendations. 
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Contact us
For media enquiries
Bec McPhee
Head of Advocacy & Communications
bmcphee@ranzcog.edu.au
+61 413 258 166