1
MILLION
WOMEN
The Study
Our research seeks to support women and the experiences they are having with the aim of improving quality of life during and after menopause. Bringing together big data and clinical expertise, we aim to understand and support women better by enabling more holistic and effective solutions to help women through hormonal change.
Menopause Million is the biggest global research study into menopausal symptoms ever undertaken. The project takes the form of an online questionnaire, to be completed by one million women globally, seeking information about problems and solutions.
Aim :
To collect data from women worldwide to enable us to better understand the unwanted consequences of menopause, the accompanying changes (good and not so good) and self-reported solutions.
The research study has two objectives:
Hypothesis 1: There are symptoms that are irrelevant of subjects ethnicity
Objective: Identifying menopausal symptoms and treatments with global relevance
Hypothesis 2: Symptom groups can be matched with ameliorating therapies
Objective: Identifying specific complementary therapies which ameliorate groups of menopausal symptoms
The online questionnaire has been externally validated by a leading UK university. The results will be published at regular intervals and are freely available.
To date, the understanding of menopause the options for supporting women through hormonal change are insufficient. As a result, one in 10 women are reported to leave their jobs because of the unwanted consequences of menopause, while many more feel they have to simply suffer through in silence. It's time they were heard.
"I can't count the number of times that women have told me they have been offered HRT, antidepressants or nothing to help them cope with the consequences of menopause. Menopause is a natural stage of life, at a time where women have so much to offer at work, at home, and for themselves.
There are more options available, it's just that no one has taken the time to gather the evidence that they work. We need to understand women better, we need to listen to what they want, and we need to support them in ways that give them autonomy over their own bodies. That starts here and now."
- Jennifer Young
Take part in our studyMenopause Million Supporters
The key to helping women to thrive in menopause, by improving the support they have access to, is in the research and the numbers. The more people who shout about and take part in the Menopause Million research project, the more data we have and the more powerful the research becomes.
Everyone who shares in this project is a key player in improving women's health and wellbeing. Those who have already joined the movement are valued members of the team. We want to invite all businesses, charities, organisations and individuals to spread the word. Those who commit to collaborating with us by promoting the research, sharing information and generating sign ups to our questionnaire, can count themselves amongst the pioneers changing the game for women's health.
Help us reach one million women
JOIN THE TEAMWe're part of the Menopause Million - are you?
The Team
We are a team of medical, wellness, menopause, skincare and communications experts from across the globe, who all have a common interest in finding the answers to questions around hormonal wellness, specifically during menopause, which should have been answered long before now.
Jennifer Young is the founder of Jennifer Young Training, Beauty Despite Cancer and The Menopause Plus. She is a specialist in skincare for those affected by cancer as well as touch therapies for cancer patients. Since 2013 she has focused her attention on the challenges women experience during menopause and wellness modalities that can help.
Jennifer has a BSc (Hons) in biology and is an experienced microbiologist, is a nutritional therapist, an associate member of the Royal Society of Medicine, a qualified aromatherapist, beauty therapist and product formulator. She has two post-graduate qualifications in health-related fields, has been accepted by the courts as an expert witness for occupational health cases, has taught internationally and has been active in medical research.
Jennifer Young (Chair and founder)
Mark spent more than 30 years in international marketing and business development, and he has a degree in international business from Ohio State University, as well as one in Marketing from the Ecole Superieure de Commerce (now Audencia) in Nantes, France. In 2010, alongside Dr. Michael Roizen, Mark founded of Areoscena, which was created to legitimise aromatherapy through evidence-based, clinical research, particularly relating to the treatment of pain, nausea, anxiety and insomnia.
Mark Kohoot, Initiative Vice Chair, CEO - Areoscena LLC
Jolanta Idkowiak-Baldys is a biologist with extensive research experience. She holds a PhD from Utah State University and completed postdoctoral training at the Medical University of South Carolina. Her work was published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and has been awarded several industry patents. Jolanta specialises in skin biology, especially in the areas of ageing, acne, and skin disorders. She is passionate about understanding and addressing skin needs across genders, generations and different life stages.
Jolanta Idkowiak-Baldys, PhD
Dr. Shashi Prasad is an experienced British Menopause Society accredited Advanced Menopause Specialist and Lifestyle Medicine Physician. She is passionate about providing top-tier, evidence-based menopause care and combines HRT with lifestyle interventions to help transform the lives of her clients, make them feel like their best selves.
Dr. Shashi Prasad, MBBS, MRCGP, DRCOG, Dip BSLM, BMS
Dr. Bakour was appointed as Director of Medical Education of Aston University in January 2016 to help set the ‘new’ medical school leading on clinical placements and the GMC Application. While maintaining busy clinical duties, she obtained the PGCert in Education from the University of Birmingham in 2018 and was was awarded the prestigious Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in 2018, in recognition of her contribution to education and training internationally. To fulfil her passion for Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity, she obtained a PGDip in Education in 2019 and completed a Master's in Medical Education in 2020 both on topics pertinent to widening participation to higher education. She presented components of her research in international conferences including AMEE 2021 Glasgow and AMEE/Ottawa 2022 and also in Lyon. She has been a senior lecturer/consultant in Obs and Gynae since 2004 at Sandwell and West Birmingham teaching Hospitals (SWBH) with special interest in Menopause and ambulatory Gynaecology, is a Member of the Royal college of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and a Fellow of the Royal college of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. She has served as an Education QA Committee member, a post graduate educational lead at the SWBH trust and Director of Medical Education at Aston New Medical School, Phase 2 Lead since 2016.
Dr. Shagaf Bakour MBBS, MD (UoB), FRCOG, MMEd (UoB), SFHEA
Meera Bhogal is the founder of the healthy food brand Meera’s Made from Scratch, which she created after realising much of the gluten and dairy-free food she needed to eat contained far too much sugar.
An experienced speaker, she is passionate about raising awareness of menopause, especially within South Asian communities where it is often not spoken about openly. Meera has presented a weekly health podcast for iGLOBAL news, a multi-media hub for Global Indians, and was involved in the Debunking Myths Around Menopause discussion for South Asian Heritage Month 2021.
She is a menopause expert within the Recommend Asian Facebook community, with a membership of 50,000 women. She has been a guest speaker at events held by My Saheli, Camden Council, Successful Superwomen and works with menopause app Stella. She has contributed to publications such as Fit & Well, On Stella, Yahoo, Red, We are The City, The Sunday Telegraph and Prima magazine (Menopause campaign). Meera has also created a Menopause In The Workplace programme.
Meera Bhogal, Founder - Meera’s Made from Scratch
Dr. Biggs is an NHS General Practitioner in Warwickshire, specialising in women’s health and menopause. She is the Women’s Lead at H3Health.co.uk and studied at Warwick Medical School. Since graduating she has completed her GP training as well as a further diploma in Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare and Menopause. After going through her own early menopause, Dr. Biggs is passionate about women being heard and getting the correct and evidence-based advice.
Dr. Verity Biggs, MBChB, MRCGP (2013), BSc(Hons), DFSRH
Dr. Lisa Taylor-Swanson is a renowned women's health researcher, nursing scientist, and experienced acupuncturist with a passion for promoting integrative health and wellness during the menopausal transition. She is dedicated to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in healthcare for midlife women.
As an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing (CON) at the University of Utah (UU), Dr. Taylor-Swanson actively works to enhance women's health during menopause by ensuring equitable access to high-quality healthcare that combines evidence-based biomedical and integrative health approaches.
Her pioneering research focuses on filling critical gaps in menopausal women's healthcare, as exemplified by the groundbreaking MENOGAP program. She is currently collaborating with Latina Community Health Workers and American Indian/Alaska Native women to adapt MENOGAP to their unique needs, making it an inclusive solution for all.
Recognized for her interdisciplinary expertise, Dr. Taylor-Swanson has received numerous accolades, including the Excellence in University Health Partnership Award from CON and a nomination to the board of directors of the Society for Acupuncture Research. She was recently honored with the UU's 2023 Leadership in Inclusive Excellence Awards: Faculty, underscoring her tireless efforts to drive positive change in women's health and foster diversity and inclusivity within healthcare.
Lisa Taylor Swanson, PhD, MAcOM, LAc
Jaiye is an experienced GP with interest in Women’s Hormonal Health and Wellbeing. Since qualifying as a Medical Doctor 20 years ago, Jaiye has had extensive Postgraduate training whilst working in various hospitals across the U.K. After qualifying as a GP in 2011, she developed her special interest in Women’s health, Lifestyle Medicine, and Medical Education. She has additional qualifications in these areas of interest including an Advance Menopause course (theory), Diplomate in the faculty of sexual and reproductive health, British Society of lifestyle medicine and a distinction in her Postgraduate Medical certificate. She is a member of the British Menopause Society, as well as the Primary care Women’s Health Forum, she is very keen to support women through their perimenopause and menopause journey.
Jaiyeola Olaleye
Allie is the Founder and CEO of Veracity, a holistic approach to beauty targeting the root cause - hormones - with clinically-proven skincare and supplements and at-home testing for personalized care. Prior to founding Veracity, Allie was the CEO of the women’s fashion brand, Cynthia Rowley where she led the transformation to direct-to-consumer and more than doubled the business in two years. She has extensive experience in the beauty industry through her time at some of Estee Lauder’s best brands, including Origins, Clinique, and La Mer. She began her career in consumer investing at L Catterton. She was selected as one of the Forbes Next 1000 and named one of the Top Women in Retail by the Women’s Leadership Network. Allie is a certified Hormonal Health Coach and she holds a BS in Finance and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and an MBA with high distinction from Harvard Business School.
Allie Egan
The lastest findings...
Research commissioned by The Jennifer Young Training School and reproduced with the kind permission of Jennifer Young.
Jennifer Young began her in-depth research with her State of the Art Scoping Review, commissioned from the UK’s Keele University and looking at 99 peer reviewed papers. It provides academic validation and statistical scrutiny of holistic therapies on specific symptoms.
Findings at this stage showed that menopausal women and professionals looking to treat their symptoms with non-pharmaceutical approaches should consider phytoestrogens and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for relief across the spectrum of symptoms. Other findings showing the need for more in-depth research included:
Reflexology
There is some, limited evidence to support the hypothesis that reflexology is beneficial for sexual dysfunction.
Homoeopathy
There is limited evidence to support the benefits of homoeopathy for central nervous system and cardiovascular symptoms.
Hypnosis
Hyponsis showed signs of improvement for central nervous system and cardiovascular symptoms, as well as improvements in symptoms related to sexual dysfunction.
Wellness education, support and information
Wellness education, support and information was shown to be beneficial for central nervous system and cardiovascular symptoms as well as decreasing sexual dysfunction alongside lifestyle changes.
Acupuncture/Acupressure
Research validated the use of acupuncture to ameliorate the unwanted physical and emotional consequences of menopause.
Exercise
Exercise showed mixed benefits for central nervous system and cardiovascular symptoms, as well as other self-reported symptoms.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness was shown to provide benefits for mild depression.
Yoga
There was some evidence to support improvement in sexual dysfunction however there were challenges in laying down the defining parameters for yoga.
Weight Loss
There was no credible evidence of efficacy of any intervention relating to weight loss.
Aromatherapy
There is some evidence to suggest that aromatherapy can reduce the frequency of hot flushes in menopausal women.
Join Us
The more people who take part in the study, the more women we can support successfully through menopause.
JOIN THE TEAMSATCC
A charity registered in England - charity number 1201728
The Menopause Million Project forms part of the work undertaken by SATCC, a UK based charity, created with the aim of developing an internationally recognised standard for touch in cancer care.
Since achieving this aim, the work of the charity has expanded to encompass the menopausal experience.
Having identified a lack of research into wellness solutions for hormonal change, when seeking to write a standard for touch treatments for menopausal care, the charity embraced the work of the Menopause Million project.
The Menopause Pillar of the work of SATCC is led by Jennifer Young.
The structure of the standard is provided by the online questionnaire and it requires those using it to include the findings of this project.
There is an additional requirement to reference the project within training courses, with the intention of encouraging more people to become involved in the gathering of big data.
The Hormonal Wellness Initiative
The Global Wellness Institute’s Hormonal Wellness Initiative seeks to improve the advice and support that the wellness industry can offer to people through different stages of hormonal change through active research that leads to hormonal wellness education and protocols. The Menopause Million founder, Jennifer Young is the chair of the initiative, leading the research into menopausal wellness, bringing together experts from across the world, with the aim of further exploring ethnicity and menopause as well as the potential benefits of complementary therapies.
The aims of the Hormonal Wellness Initiative will be served by the Menopause Million Project.
