Breaking the Silence on Menopause: Millions of Women Affected Annually
[SAN BERNARDINO, California] — Despite the growing visibility of menopause in headlines and pop culture, outdated myths continue to stand between women and the care they need. For the 1.3 million women in the U.S. who reach menopause each year, the experience is too often defined by silence, with debilitating symptoms, from severe hot flashes and brain fog to sleep disturbances and mood shifts, being dismissed as merely 'a part of aging.'
This Menopause Awareness Month, Dignity Health Community Hospital of San Bernardino & St. Bernardine Medical Center is dismantling that stigma. We are turning the page on a generation of misinformation, committing to a new standard of care where women are no longer left to suffer in silence, but are instead empowered with the expert, personalized, and proactive support they deserve during this transformative life stage.
"We are seeing a long-overdue cultural shift, but awareness is not the same as access," says Dr. Nadine Lyseight, OB/GYN at Dignity Health Community Hospital of San Bernardino & St. Bernardine Medical Center. "While more people are talking about menopause, too many women are still left to navigate their symptoms without a clinical roadmap. Our goal this October is to bridge that gap by providing evidence-based care and dismantling the 'suffer in silence' narrative that has persisted for generations."
The Current Landscape:
? The Scale: Approximately 1.3 million women in the U.S. reach menopause annually.
? The Treatment Gap: Despite the availability of effective management strategies, a significant percentage of women do not seek or receive treatment, often due to a lack of specialized training among providers.
? The Economic Impact: The professional impact is undeniable; research consistently shows that unmanaged symptoms often lead to career disruption at the height of women’s professional influence.
? The Clinical Reality: With perimenopause often starting in the 40s and symptoms lasting years, personalized, proactive care is essential.
"Menopause is a natural stage of life, but it should not be an uncomfortable one," adds Dr. Lyseight. "Evidence based interventions offer a variety of solutions, from lifestyle adjustments to hormone therapy and non-hormonal treatments. No one should have to 'just deal with it' when they could be thriving."
Dignity Health Community Hospital of San Bernardino & St. Bernardine Medical Center encourages women to:
? Track symptoms: Use a journal or app to document changes in cycle, mood, sleep, and physical comfort to share with your provider.
? Normalize the dialogue: Discussing menopause with your provider, friends and family, helps erode the stigma that isolates women in the workplace and at home.
"We are committed to fostering a healthcare environment where menopause is treated with the same priority as any other significant health milestone," says Dr. Lyseight. "This month, we invite our community to join us in making sure that every woman has the resources, the knowledge, and the support she needs to navigate this chapter with confidence."
About Dignity Health California
Dignity Health California is a nonprofit network of over 9,000 physicians, more than 35,000 employees, 28 acute care hospitals, and 200-plus care centers, including community hospitals, urgent care, surgery and imaging centers, home health, primary care clinics, and St. Joseph’s Behavioral Health Center in Stockton. Dignity Health California provides award-winning care to communities in five primary markets across the state: North State, Sacramento, Central Valley, Central Coast, and Southern California.
Dignity Health is a member of CommonSpirit Health, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit Catholic healthcare organizations, dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality, and affordable patient-centered care with special attention to the poor and underserved. Learn more about Dignity Health and CommonSpirit Health.