{"id":242064,"date":"2026-03-09T09:20:24","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T13:20:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=242064"},"modified":"2026-03-09T09:20:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T13:20:24","slug":"uconn-health-disparities-institute-leads-the-way-making-moves-for-menopause-equity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2026\/03\/uconn-health-disparities-institute-leads-the-way-making-moves-for-menopause-equity\/","title":{"rendered":"UConn Health Disparities Institute Leads the Way: Making Moves for Menopause Equity"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a single week, HDI\u2019s Menopause Equity Initiative (MEI)<\/a> helped shape two key menopause bills at the Connecticut General Assembly. It also brought a groundbreaking documentary on menopause to UConn alums and the broader community for dialogue.<\/p>\n

This coordinated push reflects a growing recognition that menopause is not just a private experience but a public health and equity issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we talk about menopause equity, we\u2019re talking about whether women and people in midlife have access to the information, care, and workplace conditions they need to thrive,\u201d said Trisha Pitter, director of Community Learning and Engagement at HDI. \u201cThat requires policy change, provider education, and spaces where people can finally say \u2018menopause\u2019 out loud without shame.\u201d\u200b\u200b<\/em><\/p>\n

Taking Menopause to the Capitol<\/strong><\/p>\n

On March 3, HDI staff, members of the Menopause Equity Collective, and community partners testified before the Connecticut General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee in support of SB 353<\/a>, \u201cAn Act Concerning Reasonable Accommodations in the Workplace for Conditions Related to Menopause.\u201d If passed, the bill would require employers to provide reasonable workplace adjustments\u2014such as temperature modifications, flexible breaks, and scheduling\u2014to workers experiencing menopause symptoms, aiming to reduce stigma and prevent retaliation for requesting these accommodations. \u200b<\/p>\n

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Legislative testimony of HDI and collaborators (Creative courtesy of Malia Hunt, BSW).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The following day, March 4, the HDI team, along with members of the Menopause Equity Collective (MEC) appeared before the Public Health Committee to support HB 5389<\/a>, \u201cAn Act Concerning a Provider Toolkit for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Menopause, Perimenopause, and Postmenopause.” If enacted, HB 5389 would equip healthcare providers with a toolkit to improve their ability to diagnose menopause-related conditions and to offer timely, culturally responsive care. This aims to ensure individuals receive informed, personalized healthcare for menopause, addressing reported gaps in midlife care. \u200b\u200b<\/p>\n

Rep. Kai Belton, a menopause equity champion and member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, serving the 100th<\/sup> district, has been a key legislative partner in advancing this agenda. “For too long, menopause has been treated as a private burden instead of a public health and workplace equity issue,\u201d Rep. Belton said. \u201cSB 353 and HB 5389 are about basic fairness, making sure people in midlife can keep working, supporting their families, and accessing quality care without stigma or dismissal. Too often, women\u2019s symptoms are misdiagnosed or ignored, leading to unnecessary suffering and medical costs that could be prevented with better education and support.”<\/p>\n

Testifiers included HDI team members Dr. Linda Sprague Martinez, Trisha Pitter, MS, and HDI Graduate Fellow Malia Hunt, BSW, as well as members of the Menopause Equity Collective and community advocates whose lived experiences and professional expertise helped bring the realities of menopause into the legislative record. \u201cTestifying was both terrifying and liberating. I was speaking not just for myself, but for so many women who have quietly pushed through pain, brain fog, and exhaustion at work,\u201d said Monika Shoham, a member of the HDI Menopause Equity Collective. She further noted, \u201cMy hope is that because we showed up and told the truth, the next generation won\u2019t have to suffer in silence to keep their jobs or be taken seriously by their providers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shredding The Silence at UConn Health<\/strong><\/p>\n

On the evening of March 4, HDI partnered with the UConn Foundation and the UConn Office for Inclusion and Civil Rights to bring the \u201cBecause of UConn Conversation Series: Shredding the Silence on Menopause\u201d<\/em> to UConn Health\u2019s Cell and Genome Sciences Building, Grossman Auditorium, in Farmington.<\/p>\n

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(Photo by UConn Foundation\/Desiray Green).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to Marinda Reynolds, Senior Associate Vice President for Alumni Engagement, UConn Foundation, \u201cOur intent in hosting this event was to highlight UConn Health and the Health Disparities Institute by offering a relevant educational opportunity for UConn alums, particularly women. What we found was significant energy and interest in building community and support for this shared experience, and an appetite to hear from UConn alumni and faculty experts in this space.\u201d<\/p>\n

The event featured a screening of The (M) Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause<\/em><\/a>, a documentary that combines personal stories with expert medical insights to illuminate menopause as a neglected global health and economic crisis.<\/p>\n

The film shows that, in addition to navigating intense physical symptoms, women experience billions of dollars in lost wages, disrupted careers, family strain, and emotional turmoil. It calls for a revolutionary approach to women\u2019s health worldwide.\u200b<\/p>\n

The panel highlighted how UConn clinicians are reshaping menopause and midlife care in Connecticut. The speakers included:<\/p>\n