by Cindy Moy Carr, founder of mySysters

Thousands of women have tracked hundreds of thousands of perimenopause symptoms on mySysters over several years, and we’ve noticed a striking issue.

Of the top symptoms tracked, several of them involve pain.

Other top symptoms include insomnia, irritability and anxiety.

Is it surprising we’re irritable when we’re all sleep-deprived and walking around in constant pain?

(Please note we’re referring to OVERALL TRENDS over years. We do not track individual users. I use mySysters, too, and protect everyone’s data the same way I protect my own.)

CHRONIC PAIN AND MENOPAUSE

Studies of female military veterans show acute chronic pain is a significant issue for midlife women.

The link between chronic pain and menopause, however, is not fully understood.

While hormones are linked to pain sensitivity, there are also psychosocial factors at play, none of which are well-researched or even well-known..

What we do know is there’s a well-documented gender pain gap that harms everyone–not only women and men but children, taxpayers, the private sector and the economy at large.

AUSTRALIA’S GENDER PAIN GAP

Nurofen’s Gender Pain Gap Australia study bears out what we see at mySysters.

Australian women are in pain to the point it’s interfering with their sleep and impacting their daily lives.

Women in Australia and New Zealand have a higher engagement rate on mySysters than almost anywhere else in the world, and while we’re thrilled to be of service, this may also indicate a significant issue within the local healthcare system.

The mySysters symptom tracker is a tool to manage perimenopause and menopause.

It’s not a replacement for healthcare.

A note here: millions of women sail through perimenopause without pain or other issues. That’s one end of the spectrum and it needs to be recognized.

What we’re discussing here is the other end of the spectrum (and much of the middle) which went unrecognized for far too long, and remains ignored in much of society.

The women who endure severe perimenopause symptoms deserve to have their needs recognized, acknowledged and met.

It took ten years for a nurse practitioner to realize my mysterious ailments weren’t psychosomatic, but rather perimenopause related.

TEN. YEARS.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

• When women ask for help, whether in the medical office or the workplace, give it to them.

• Stop expecting women to volunteer for (or attend) every school and church function. If their work is so vital to the organization, pay them.

• Fund research and startups working in women’s health, especially those in perimenopause, menopause and hormonal health.

The first research study to prove that menstrual pain exists was released in March 2021 by Apple.

Let that sink in. That’s how far behind the research field is when it comes to women’s health.

Of the tiny amount of funding that goes to women’s health startups, only two-percent of that goes to menopause.

When women are healthier everyone around them is healthier, too.

That’s a long-term dividend society reaps from a relatively small initial investment.

Cindy Moy Carr is the founder and CEO of Vorsdatter Limited which created mySysters, the world’s first mobile platform for perimenopause and menopause. She’s an attorney, journalist and author, including the ABA’s Guide to Healthcare Law. She divides her time between Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, where Vorsdatter Ltd is based, and Minneapolis, MN, where the center of the universe (aka her grandchild) resides.

mySysters is an app for women in perimenopause and menopause. It was created by Cindy Moy Carr when she needed a symptom tracker for perimenopause and found there were none. She created one for herself, her sister and their friends. Hence, mySysters. Good Housekeeping and Woman’s Day named mySysters the Best App for Women in Perimenopause and a Must Have App for Women.