From left to right: Bernadette Boden-Albala, Wen Shen, Liz Powell and Gigi Kroll at UC Irvine’s 11th Annual Women’s Health Summit, Menopause Matters: A Public Health Call to Action. Steven Zylius

Imagine if, this Thanksgiving, every woman across the country — supported by her family, friends and community — began talking openly about menopause. Imagine the conversations at dinner tables, in grocery store aisles, after church services or during holiday gatherings. What if menopause became as natural to discuss as career milestones or college aspirations? If we used this season of togetherness to finally break the silence, we could spark a national movement.

Because the truth is: menopause is not just a personal transition. It is a public health, economic and equity frontier.

Most women

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