‘Late Bloom’ looks at the menopause

Press, 27 October 1982, Page 13

‘Late Bloom’ looks at the menopause

After being in the closet for decades, the subject of menopause is to be taken out of its historic mothballs and given a massive airing, savs TVNZ.

This time of life, being experienced by up to 135.000 New Zealand women in their 40s. 50s and early 60s. has been glossed over and denied for generations, says TVNZ.

In earlier times women rarely talked about menopause and 'certainly did’ not seek professional help to get them through it. Even now, the average New Zealand doctor gets little more than an hour’s training on the subject in seven years of medical training. Apart from a few Health Department handouts and some feminist literature, very little in-

formation is available to help women during this change.

This week the information vacuum is to be filled with the screening of a television documentary on menopause in the "Contact'’ slot. The documentary, called “Late Bloom." is to be followed up by a series of programmes on National radio between November 9 and 11. These will include an hour-long nation-wide talkback on Sharon Crosbie’s "As It Happens" (November 11, from 11 a.m. until noon).

Limited copies of a 12page free brochure can also be obtained from either TVNZ or Radio New Zealand to back up this information. The programme makers,

Allison Webber (TVNZ) and Gillian Woodward (Radio New Zealand), say the information onslaught is part of a planned education strategy. They are interested in experimenting with the print media, radio and television in co-operation rather than competition. They hope this effort will be a forerunner of things to come. "The thing that really shocked me," said Allison Webber, “was that so many women could get right through to the end of their fertile lives with so little information about how their bodies worked and sb little understanding from doctors and families about what they were experiencing. “I feel many women in

middle age have been put on the scrap heap of society. Our stereotypes encourage them to believe they are no longer useful or attractive and many of them feel quite worthless.

“We want to help redress this balance by giving women information to take control of their own health and by giving them hope about their own importance. “We feel that by airing the issue women will come to see that they are not alone or unusual in what they feel or experience — their symptoms are suffered by thousands of others,” Ms Webber said.

Major symptoms of menopause are as diverse as hot flushes and night sweats, painful ■. intercourse because of vaginal dryness, sleeplessness, irritability, depression and aching muscles and bones.

“These can add up to quite a bill of ill health," said Gillian Woodward. "If a woman is experiencing any combination of these symptoms she will need both support and understanding from her family and her doctor. These kind of symptoms are not trivial and need io be taken seriously." Most of the research and back-up for the television and radio programmes has come from a group of women 'in the Auckland Family Planning Association. Two years ago. they took part in a talk-back session on Radio Pacific. Expecting most of the calls to be about sex and contraception, they were amazed to find that two-thirds of all callers were middle-aged women wanting help ana information about menopause. A former journalist, Raewyn McKenzie, is writing a book on the subject which will be published early next year.

Limited copies of the brochure. . "Menopause — a period of change." are available by writing to either: Conted’Radio New Zealand. P.O. Box 2092. Wellington; or TVNZ. Documentary Unit. P.O. Box 30945. Lower Hutt. •"Late Bloom" will be screened on One tomorrow at 8 p.m.