Suddenly, it was everywhere.

On Instagram, influencers shared stories of their symptoms. Naomi Watts talked about it on TV.

And off-screen, in real life, women — perhaps sensing that a tipping point had arrived — started opening up, too.

2024 was the year that perimenopause and menopause hit the mainstream and changed the cultural conversation around both women’s health and one of the most significant stages in a woman’s life.

Our newsroom was paying attention.

Last spring, our executive editor suggested we tackle the subject head-on in a special feature about menopause as a women’s health issue. The resulting article delved into the reality that many Canadian women had suffered severe effects of menopause, in part because doctors looked askance at hormone replacement therapy, which our writer, Christina Frangiou, called “the most effective treatment.”

Frangiou uncovered stories from Canadian women who had lost their careers, their marriages, even their sense of self as they battled symptoms alone. She called it a health crisis.

“Women in their 40s and 50s are suddenly being slammed by menopause just as they hit the peak of their careers. They’re turning to a medical system for help and coming up empty.”

Exposing a health crisis

Our team realised the significance of this story. The women’s health crisis was real, and the way menopause was treated in Canada offered a depressing example of how many issues faced by women are often dealt with, clouded in stigma and shame.

We decided to expand the feature into a package called “Menopause Out Loud” — an acknowledgement that we were at a moment when women were breaking the silence around what had been considered a taboo topic. Illustrator Susan Kao used the bullhorn as the primary visual symbol of the package — and a rallying cry.

The project had multiple elements. In addition to Frangiou’s reported piece, we assigned a feature on the “rebranding” of menopause as the second puberty. We asked experts for practical tips on navigating perimenopause. One of our editors interviewed Naomi Watts, one of the most vocal celebrity advocates for menopause awareness, who declared September 9 National Hot Flash Day.

Throughout, we asked women to share their stories. One day last fall, we invited a group of six women to the Toronto Star office to share their experiences for an article and a special video. The women gathered in a boardroom for hair and makeup touch-ups and bonded as Habiba, a teacup terrier belonging to Leila DeCiantis, wandered about sniffing purses and boots.

Writer Nadine Araksi told us that she felt like her body had “betrayed” her. DeCiantis said she was irritable all the time. Psychotherapist Amanda VanDenBrock experienced extreme symptoms of ADHD, while author Rose Finlay said that perimenopause had negatively impacted her job performance.

That was a sentiment echoed by women in a survey commissioned by the Star: One in 10 stopped working altogether because of the symptoms. This is a shocking statistic. There are roughly 5 million women over 40 working in Canada, accounting for about one-quarter of the country’s workforce. Menopause is a health crisis; it’s potentially a labour crisis too.

An eye-opening experience

I loved working on this package, but sometimes it was tough. I remember the shock I felt reading that women were excluded from clinical trials until the 1990s, and that OB-GYNs — women’s health specialists — received less than a month’s training about menopause.

But every day, I was inspired by my colleagues, both women and men, who were committed to ensuring we represented women’s stories accurately and sensitively. What gave me the most hope was the women themselves, who were brave enough to keep pushing, keep talking, and ensure that their voices were heard.

Finally, hopefully, the world is ready to listen.

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