Opinion: Menopausal women have a lot at stake in this election

Perhaps you’ve heard: Menopause is having a moment. In March, President Biden signed an executive order creating a national task force, the White House Women’s Health Research Initiative, with a call for a $12-billion investment in women’s midlife and menopause research. Meanwhile, Congress introduced a slate of bipartisan bills this session — the Advancing Menopause and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act in the Senate and three corresponding proposals in the House — all of which would increase funding for research and education about menopause symptoms and treatments. Licensing boards are already catching on: This month, the Federation of State Medical Boards agreed to provide continuing medical education credits for physicians who view a new PBS film on menopause, “The M Factor”. Other issues at stake in this election, such as access to IVF and hormonal contraceptives — as well as threats to the independence of federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration — can also significantly affect the lives of women nearing or in menopause.