Bayer Consumer Health has launched a digital educational resource to support perimenopausal or menopausal patients in the UK.
The free-to-access CanesMeno Hub has been designed to educate and empower women to navigate the menopausal transition, which can cause symptoms such as hot flushes, mood swings, sleeping difficulties and a lack of energy.
Users will be able to track the signs of menopause, allowing them to gain personalised insights into which symptoms have a higher impact and how these symptoms may affect their overall mood. This will then help patients to have more meaningful conversations with their doctors, according to Bayer.
The resource also includes a three-minute guide on the signs of menopause, as well as articles and tips from specialists.
“Menopause is an area that deserves greater visibility and support,” said Daria Costantini, brand lead for Canesten at Bayer Consumer Health UK. “We often talk about women ‘suffering’ through menopause because there’s a lack of knowledge to enable us to take charge of our own health. With CanesMeno, we aim to educate, destigmatise and offer community support to empower more women to take more control of their health and well-being.”
Menopause is a natural physiological event that happens to all women, and causes a range of physical and psychological symptoms that can last for several years and vary in duration and severity.
An estimated 13 million women in the UK are currently menopausal or perimenopausal (the phase leading up to menopause), which is equivalent to a third of the entire UK’s female population.
Despite this, Bayer notes that there is currently not enough education about menopause, leaving patients with misconceptions and limited knowledge as they reach this stage of life.
“Most women associate menopause with ageing, but symptoms can happen before they expect it, leaving many feeling unprepared,” the company said, adding that “a one-size-fits-all approach is not effective when it comes to menopause”.
Alongside the CanesMeno Hub, Bayer has launched a new product range to help ease menopause symptoms. This includes a gel that can be used with hormone replacement therapy, to provide relief from vaginal atrophy symptoms such as dryness, itching and burning.
Two daily food supplements are also included in the range, one that helps with the maintenance of normal sleep and hormonal regulation, and one that contains vitamins and minerals.
Mike Knowland, general manager for Bayer Consumer Health, Northern Europe, said: “Under our company mission of ‘Health for All, Hunger for None’ we recognise that all women everywhere need greater support and education around this universal experience. By addressing this need, we are making a big step in our sustainability commitments – enabling more people to practice self-care and driving greater access to reduce health inequities, especially in women’s health.”
The company said it hopes that the CanesMeno brand will be rolled out across other markets in the future.