My Queer Menopause – “Becoming knowledgeable and powerful and furious”*

Helen Juffs with Davina McCall The theme for LGBT+ History Month 2024 is 'Medicine – #UnderTheScope' and it has been chosen to shine a light on the contributions to the field of medicine, including staff in the NHS and other healthcare settings.

Helen Juffs is a Health and Wellbeing Champion and Practitioner, who works as Health & Social Care Coordinator at BVSC. She recently shared a deeply personal account of her menopause in a blog entitled My Queer Menopause – “Becoming knowledgeable and powerful and furious”*. BVSC’s EDI group felt that such a powerful piece deserved a wider audience and therefore we’re sharing it here (links below) - with Helen’s approval.

As an introduction to the blog on her Linked-in page, Helen said “I'm not a regular blogger though I have written a lot around my menopause experience privately, and I frequently speak to clients, friends and acquaintances about menopause. When I met Nicole from the Menopause & Me Project (through us both working on DHSC/NHS funded menopause projects) and she asked me to write a blog for their website about my Queer Menopause it took a while to get in the flow. However, once I started I couldn't stop writing about my whole experience: clinically, historically, emotionally, and culturally.”

Feedback so far from a variety of critics includes: 'humbling', 'powerful', 'beautiful', 'amazing', 'important and significant', 'needs to heard'.

It's a long read (15 minutes), however, if you only have 5 minutes to spare, there’s a shorter version below too.

Edited version (5 minute read)

Full version (available in Linked-in) (15 minute read)

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