A MAJOR change is coming to the high street to help women take control of their health.
Holland & Barrett is introducing a Women’s Health Coach to 600 of its 800 UK stores from this week.
The company is committing to helping women understand their hormone health better in order to relieve symptoms of PMS, menopause and pregnancy, or simply understand themselves more.
It comes against a backdrop of woeful education – and information – about women’s hormone health over their lifetime.
The Sun has been dedicated to raising awareness of menopause symptoms and how women can manage them since 2020, with the launch of its Fabulous Menopause Matters campaign.
Meanwhile, as young women increasingly turn to social media for sexual or menstrual health information, some of which can be misleading or false, Holland & Barret will launch the UK’s first free menstrual health video consultation service staffed by trained nurses.
It’s part of its free general women’s health ‘helpline’ with trained nurses – people can book 15-minute video consultation appointments here.
Nurses can help prepare individuals for a GP consultation and offer advice on what they can do while they wait.
For example, going to a GP with a menopause symptom diary can ensure the right medication and faster treatment, or to discuss symptoms of endometriosis – which takes seven years to get diagnosed, on average.
A survey of 2,500 women found that 48 per cent say they have felt dismissed when speaking about symptoms of menstruating.
Health professionals ranked top of the list (16 per cent) as most likely to dismiss symptoms.
It compares with eight per cent for employers and eight per cent for partners.
That’s despite almost half (49 per cent) stating they have experienced negative symptoms throughout their menstrual cycle, such as weight changes, low energy, stress and cramps.
Over a quarter (28 per cent) of women admit to living with symptoms for longer than a year before seeking help, or not seeking help at all.
It’s no surprise after the Government’s Women’s Health Strategy call to evidence, the results of which were published in 2022, found that issues of menstrual and gynaecological care were impacting women in the UK.
Understanding and optimising the menstrual cycle can unlock a lot of the mysteries about women’s health and even help improve other areas of their wellness such as gut health, energy, sleep, skin and metabolism.
Lina Chan
Among its key recommendations were to improve access to high-quality information about women’s health, improve the education of healthcare professionals, and to encourage them to better listen to women.
Lina Chan, Women’s Health Director at Holland & Barrett, said: “Women’s health has been under-served for too long.
“Being on every high street, we are ideally placed within the community to support and help add quality years to life and truly champion wellness for all women.
“Our new long-term commitment will start by empowering women to understand their hormones, so they are in control of their marvellous bodies.
“Understanding and optimising the menstrual cycle can unlock a lot of the mysteries about women’s health and even help improve other areas of their wellness such as gut health, energy, sleep, skin and metabolism.
“By proactively engaging with our hormone health we can also better understand gynaecological conditions, fertility and the menopause as hormones sit at the core of these various life transitions where women can experience severe symptoms.”
More than a third of women (35 per cent) say there is a lack of education or readily available, trusted support and guidance on women’s health issues.
And 60 per cent of women agree there needs to be more access to information and support, with a third (31 per cent) stating they were last equipped with information on their cycle and hormones when at school, or not at all.
Women’s health coaches in Holland & Barrett can help with:
Women’s menstruation is often thought of as just a period. But the cycle – typically lasting 28 days – is a complex journey of hormonal changes implicating mood daily.
For example, low mood is typically experienced during the premenstrual phase, when progesterone falls, but women feel their most energised and sociable during the second half of the follicular phase, when oestrogen and testosterone levels rise.
As part of a wider ‘Women’s Wellness Commitment’, Holland & Barrett will also ensure women’s health training will be expanded to 4,000 staff in stores to offer products.
The H&B Women’s Wellness Commitment will kick-off with an awareness campaign on hormone health – ‘Own Every Day Of The Month’ campaign – supported by actor and writer, Hayley Morris.
Hayley Morris said: “I’m so proud to be able to support Holland & Barrett’s ‘Own Every Day Of The Month’ campaign, and be a part of a genuine movement for women to understand their health better, and the role of our powerful hormones within it.”
MENSTRUAL PHASE (days 1-7)
This is the first day of your period. Your oestrogen and progesterone levels are at their lowest as your uterus sheds its lining, meaning you’re more likely to be low on energy during this time.
Recharge your batteries, do gentle exercise, and eat nourishing meals.
PROFILFERATIVE PHASE (days 8-13)
Your oestrogen levels are rising steadily throughout this week, causing the lining of your uterus to regrow as your ovary prepares to release an egg.
It’s time to start picking up the pace again – spring clean the house, get creative, apply for that job and get the to-do list done.
OVULATORY PHASE (days 14-21)
As oestrogen reaches its highest peak in the cycle, ovulation is triggered. An egg is released from your ovary and into the fallopian tube.
Testosterone levels also peak just before ovulation and straight afterwards, both oestrogen and testosterone levels fall rapidly, replaced with rising progesterone levels.
At this point, you’ll feel your most energetic, sociable and feminine.
Testosterone levels are high, as is your pain tolerance, so you’re able to push harder at the gym.
Your libido will also be highest around ovulation.
LUTEAL PHASE (days 22-28)
Progesterone levels continue to increase throughout the second half of your cycle and are highest while the body prepares the lining of the uterus, in case of fertilisation.
Progesterone can make you feel more sensitive, self-critical or down.
You might prefer to stay at home – but do tasks that feel rewarding, such as organising those messy drawers you’ve been putting off.
This is when appetite can get bigger and food cravings kick in, before your period starts and the cycle begins again.
