Are you having a hot flash? Now that’s what sign language is for! First ever BSL guide to menopause launched
Sign language resources for menopause now exist thanks to a groundbreaking new initiative.
Until now, there has been no universally accepted guideline for translating terms such as hot flashes for deaf women.
This is despite the fact that 190,000 deaf Britons β half of whom are women β use British Sign Language (BSL) to communicate.
Deaf women going through menopause therefore had to struggle through the change with little help or support, say the makers of the new BSL glossary.
Until now, there has been no universally accepted guideline for translating terms such as hot flashes for deaf women. This is despite the fact that 190,000 deaf Britons β half of whom are women β use British Sign Language (BSL) to communicate. A woman draws anxiety, a common complaint of women going through menopause
The program was set up by Holland & Barrett, together with deaf charity BID Services and a health clinic, My Menopause Centre.
It comes after studies found that 60 percent of deaf women do not have access to information about menopause in BSL.
Ninety percent are not aware of the treatment options.
Online information has so far only included secondary interpreted content, minus explanations of signs and terms related to ‘the change’, which usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55.
The full BSL glossary, including a series of advice videos, is now available on the Holland & Barrett website.
Debbie Lang, from BID Services, said: ‘Many women told us that when they were given medical leaflets and websites to look at, they reported difficulty understanding them.
‘The English terminology used to describe menopause and its symptoms does not always have corresponding characters and words are spelled with individual letters. If there are signs, they can vary from region to region or even from person to person, meaning it’s a difficult landscape to navigate.β
She said the resources, created in collaboration with the deaf community, will “empower” deaf women by “bringing together commonly used signs and their meanings.”
Helen Normoyle, co-founder of My Menopause Centre, said: ‘The transition to menopause can be a positive but also challenging time β especially if you are deaf or hard of hearing.
Lina Chan, director of women’s health at Holland & Barrett, said: ‘One of our most important missions is to support women and their individual health journeys.
βThrough our recently launched Women’s Wellness Commitment, we aim to increase equal access to information and services for all women.
‘After focus groups with deaf women it was clear that interpreting the content was not enough and that a deeper and tailored glossary of BSL signs around menopause was needed that explained the symptoms and their meaning.
Menopause is when a woman stops having periods and can no longer become pregnant naturally.
It is a normal part of aging and is caused by a decrease in levels of the sex hormone estrogen.
Some women go through this period with few or no symptoms. Others experience hot flashes, sleep problems, mood swings and brain fog, which can last for months or years and change over time.
HRT replaces hormones and is the main treatment used to treat symptoms β which can be serious and disruptive to daily life.