Dorothy Byrne: Speaking out about the menopause at work

Dorothy Byrne is the Editor at Large at Channel 4 and was Head of News and Current Affairs for 17 years at the channel. In this podcast episode, she speaks with Dr Louise Newson about her own experience of speaking up about the menopause at work. Dorothy gave a MacTaggart lecture at the TV industry’s biggest event of the year, The Edinburgh Television Festival, and received an overwhelming response for talking about the menopause in such a setting.(The lecture is available to watch in full on Edinburgh Television Festival’s youtube channel).   Dorothy and Louise also discuss the debilitating effects of some of the long-term consequences of the menopause such as a lack of sleep and osteoporosis, and the challenges of getting testosterone prescribed on the NHS.   Dorothy’s 3 top tips:  

1. Go and see your doctor if you’re suffering. Tell them you need to know more about your treatment options and get advice. Ask them to discuss HRT with you rather than it being quickly dismissed.

2. Not sleeping is a serious lifestyle and medical issue. Don’t put up with it, the long-term effects on your health from a lack of sleep are considerable.

3. Going through the menopause and being an older woman can be great. You can be more confident, you receive less unwanted attention from men, you don’t have to worry about getting pregnant, there are so many upsides. Don’t accept the consequences of menopause when you can have another 20, 30, or even 40 years of a great life ahead of you.