Local screening of The (M) Factor shines a spotlight on menopause

On Monday at the Chelsea Theater, women gathered for a special screening and discussion of "The (M) Factor", a film that confronts the neglected crisis of menopause. The event was hosted by Pause & Reset — an offshoot of the social wellness company Buddi Brand Inc. 

During the discussion after the screening, Jamie Gallagher, founder of Peri & Pause — a menopause clinic — compared the significant drop in estrogen that occurs during menopause as going from living off six cups of coffee a day to zero. 

“How are you supposed to say to your employer, ‘I’m not feeling well and I won’t for the next 5-7 years,’” said an interviewee in the film.

Hajira “Dr. Yas” Yasmin, an obstetrician and gynecologist, now owns Alray Gynecology, a women’s health intimacy center in Raleigh. Her practice is exclusive to menopause and sexual health for women, but Dr. Yas didn’t always specialize in these issues.

“25 years in OB-GYN, and we didn't talk about sexual health. We didn't talk about or learn about sexual pain, or vaginal pain, or vulvovaginal pain or pelvic pain” she said.

Yasmin said that the limited training in medical school and residency about menopause is likely the cause of the lack of resources available for women when they become infertile and begin experiencing major hormonal changes. She also said that many patients are afraid to bring symptoms of menopause up. 

Oftentimes women’s pain, discomfort and low libido are ignored by their primary physicians and even gynecologists. 

“If something is bothering you and someone says ‘it's in your head’ of course it is, everything is in my head. Hormones affect your brain,” said  Dr. Sharon Malone, who is an OB-GYN, in the film. 

Many audience members shook their heads and audibly showed their shock when learning that the National Institute of Health has only allocated 9 percent of its research funding to women’s health issues. 

“A lot of [research funding] is breast cancer, a lot of that is pregnancy related conditions” said Malone on the allocation of funding. “How much of that is really related to women over the age of 40?”

Crystal Schiller, another of the event's panelists, is a clinical psychologist and director of the UNC Center for Women’s Mood Disorders. The center includes a menopause clinic which helps women transitioning into menopause who are experiencing depression and anxiety. 

Menopause-related depression can be treated very quickly and effectively with hormone replacement therapy, Schiller said. Antidepressants would take eight to 12 weeks to have a full effect, while hormones achieve great results in only a few weeks. 

Following the screening of "The (M) Factor", panelists led a Q&A period. One woman prefaced her question by sharing that she had her final period a year ago, a marker that she had just become menopausal. Applause and cheers rippled through the room with one panelist remarking that it was a badge of honor. 

This kind of support can become rare as a woman ages, Lisa Mosconi, a neurologist at the Weill Cornell Women’s Brain Initiative, said in the film. 

“We go through puberty and everyone’s happy and excited and you can’t wait. Go through pregnancy and its parties, you go through menopause and nobody wants to hear about it,” Mosconi said. 

During the Q&A discussion, Schiller encouraged attendees to raise their voices about women's health issues, especially on behalf of doctors like herself who are now scared to speak out and potentially jeopardize their ability to receive federal funding.

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