Jenny BlairIn late April, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE) announced it is available to provide comprehensive menopause and perimenopause care at its health centers, including in Vermont, and through telehealth.
The organization has long provided such services but recently formalized them, in part to help raise awareness. That’s according to Elana Rosenberg, an advanced practice clinician at the Barre center.
“We serve people of all ages,” Rosenberg told The Bridge. “People might think that Planned Parenthood serves only young people. Some people feel like once they turn 30, or once they become a parent, or once they stop dating, we might not have services for them. But that’s very much not true.”
“We offer treatments designed to help patients feel better,” said Katie Riley, advanced practice clinician and menopause director at PPNNE, in an April 29 statement. “Our clinicians will take the time to listen and partner with patients to find an approach that is safe, effective, and in-line with their personal preferences and goals. We believe that each patient is the expert of their own body and should play an active role in their health care decisions.”
Some people don’t think they’ll have these kinds of symptoms until after menopause, Rosenberg said, but it’s normal to experience them in one’s 40s — and, for some, one’s late 30s.
Treatment at PPNNE is available for people of all genders experiencing menopause transition, Rosenberg said, including cis women, trans men, and nonbinary people. Those taking testosterone can also receive perimenopause and menopause care, she added.
What is Menopause?
Menopause is the permanent end of menstrual cycles (“periods,” or monthly vaginal bleeding). On average, this happens at age 52 in the United States, according to PPNNE. Perimenopause typically begins about five years earlier, during which the female body experiences a drop in estrogen levels and other hormone changes.
Common symptoms of this transition can include not only menstrual cycle changes but also hot flashes, night sweats, changes in sexual drive, trouble sleeping, mood changes, brain fog, body aches, urinary changes such as leaking and infections, and more.
A Better Quality of Life
Treatment may include menopause hormone therapy (MHT, previously called hormone replacement therapy).
Estrogen is crucial for cardiovascular health, brain function, metabolism, and bone health. Menopause hormone therapy can ease some symptoms of the menopause transition and help prevent bone loss and broken bones.
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England also offers mental health care. Decreased levels of estrogen during perimenopause and menopause can lead to mood changes, including depression and anxiety, the April 29 press release explains. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England can prescribe antidepressants, connect patients to local mental health providers, and provide free short-term patient support counseling for established patients in Vermont clinics and via telehealth, according to the release.
A key goal of care is to improve quality of life, Rosenberg said.
A Moment for Menopause
Though there is stigma around menopause and perimenopause, Rosenberg said, recent years have seen an uptick in people talking openly about it, asking questions, and requesting menopause care.
“Menopause is having a moment,” she said, crediting a fellow clinician with the saying. But, she warned, misinformation is being shared online too.
People can learn more about menopause from ppnne.org, which contains medically accurate information, or by booking an in-person or online appointment, she said.
“This is a type of care that people really deserve,” Rosenberg added. “People deserve to be listened to. They deserve to be taken seriously and to have a space where they can talk about ideas to make their quality of life better. And that’s definitely something that we can offer them.”
