Menopause isn’t just a life stage — it’s a financial issue. Research from SimplyHealth has found that nearly a quarter of women have considered quitting due to the impact of menopause or menstrual symptoms at work, which tells us that women are not getting the help and attention they deserve to find menopause relief.
But it’s time to bring these conversations to the table — for us and every woman. Jill Herzig, Chief Brand Officer and co-founder of Midi Health recently joined Jean Chatzky on the HerMoney podcast to discuss how perimenopause and menopause impact women’s careers, finances, and overall well-being.
The Effect Of Menopause On Women’s Careers
Jean Chatzky: What happens to a woman’s career when she is going through perimenopause if it’s not addressed? If she’s not able to find the menopause relief she needs?
Jill Herzig: Women who have untreated vasomotor symptoms incur $2,000 more in medical expenses per year than women who receive treatment. So that’s the financial cost. But it’s not just that cost, think of the time you spend going to see specialists seeking out that treatment.
Jill Herzig: In medical school, less than 20 percent of OBGYNs get any schooling at all [in menopause education]. And the 20 percent who get something, get a couple of lectures, maybe. Doctors are wonderful service providers. They do this career because they want to do good and they want to help us. If we go to them and say, “Look, I need this treated. I need you to help me with these symptoms. I don’t want to just tough it out,” they will respond.
Menopause Relief: What’s Worth Your Money?
Jean Chatzky: The New York Times recently wrote that we’re in the middle of what it called the menopause gold rush with beauty products and supplements and viral concoctions that are supposed to minimize our symptoms. Which of these products is snake oil? What do women need to know before we spend good money on these solutions?
Jill Herzig: Women are wasting a tremendous amount of money. If you’re trying to evaluate [a product], you want to make sure that you’re not looking at what is essentially a beauty company. Applying beauty products will not help you with menopause symptoms. Moisturizer is not going to change hot flashes or insomnia or any of the 50-plus symptoms. So you want healthcare. That is what you need to get through perimenopause and menopause in a truly supported way.
Jill Herzig: If you want to try those products, it certainly can’t hurt, but if it’s a supplement that you’re looking at, dig deep to see if there’s decent science behind it and make sure that you’re getting your care through a professionally trained clinician. That’s the person who’s going to connect you with something that is science-based.
What You Can Do Now To Take Control
Jean Chatzky: People who have been diagnosed as menopausal spend 45 percent more on health care costs to treat their symptoms each year than those who are not menopausal. I don’t want to go as far as to suggest that you need to start a college savings fund for menopause, but do we need to prepare for the possibility that we might need to take a work break? And what’s the sort of best practice these days as you hit your 40s for getting the tests and the treatment that you need?
Jill Herzig: Instead of emphasizing putting away a war chest to deal with your symptoms, I would emphasize education. Get familiar with all the symptoms out there so that as soon as they begin you understand what’s going on with you and then seek out a trained clinician. You shouldn’t have to incur any extra expenses if you’re going to someone who’s trained [in menopause and menopause relief].
Jill Herzig: Lifestyle is [also] so important and this is absolutely a time to lean into your health. You want to go into this transition giving your body the best possible shot of weathering it well. So aside from getting the medical treatment that you might need, you want to optimize your diet. You want to optimize your sleep. You want to establish an exercise routine that you can stick with and that you enjoy. Those things could not be more important in midlife. This is the time to establish those habits that will pay off for a long time to come.
MORE ON HERMONEY:
- Protecting Women’s Healthcare with Kate Ryder
- 5 Health Moves That Can Save Women The Most Money
- Doctors On How Money And Our Health Are Inextricably Linked
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