Sign language resources for menopause now exist thanks to an innovative new initiative.
Until now, there was no universally agreed upon guide to translating terms like hot flashes for deaf women.
This is despite 190,000 deaf Britons (half of whom are women) using British Sign Language (BSL) to communicate.
Deaf women going through menopause therefore had to struggle through the change with little help or support, say the creators of the new BSL glossary.
Until now, there was no universally agreed upon guide to translating terms like hot flashes for deaf women. This is despite 190,000 deaf Britons (half of whom are women) using British Sign Language (BSL) to communicate. A woman signs anxiety, a common complaint of women going through menopause
The scheme was created by Holland & Barrett, alongside deaf charity BID Services and a health clinic, My Menopause Centre.
It comes after surveys showed that 60 per cent of deaf women do not have access to information about the menopause in BSL.
Ninety percent are unaware of treatment options.
Online information, until now, only included secondary interpreted content, less explanations of signs and terms associated with ‘the change’, which generally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.
The entire BSL glossary, including a set of video tips, is now available on the Holland & Barrett website.
Debbie Lang, from BID Services, said: ‘Many women told us that when they were given medical leaflets and websites to look at, they reported difficulty understanding them.
‘The English terminology used to describe menopause and its symptoms does not always have corresponding signs and words are written using individual letters, where there are signs these can vary from region to region or even person to person, meaning it is a difficult panorama. to navigate.’
She said the resources, created in collaboration with the deaf community, will “empower” deaf women by “bringing together commonly used signs and their meanings.”
Helen Normoyle, co-founder of My Menopause Centre, said: ‘The transition to menopause can be a positive but also challenging time, even more so if you are deaf or hard of hearing.
Lina Chan, women’s health director at Holland & Barrett, said: ‘One of our key missions is to support women and their individual health journeys.
‘Through our recently launched Commitment to Women’s Wellbeing, we commit to increasing equity in access to information and services for all women.
‘After focus groups with deaf women, it became clear that it was not enough to have interpreted the content and that a more in-depth, personalized glossary of BSL signs related to menopause was needed to explain the signs and meaning.
Menopause is when a woman stops having periods and can no longer get pregnant naturally.
It is a normal part of aging and is caused by falling levels of the sex hormone estrogen.
Some women go through this time with few, if any, symptoms. Others experience hot flashes, difficulty sleeping, mood swings, and brain fog, which can last for months or years and may change over time.
HRT replaces hormones and is the main treatment used to treat symptoms, which can be severe and disrupt daily life.
