My menopause patch disappeared, and I started asking bigger questions

Awareness of menopause is improving but does a prescription script for HRT guarantee access? Women needing medication might be labelled as not coping, ‘difficult’ or moody. Let’s change that.

Brenda Kubheka-Chauke serves on one of the committees of the Health Professions Council of South Africa. She is a member of the Council of the Gauteng North branch of the South African Medical Association, an African Leadership Initiative (SA) Fellow and an Aspen Global Leadership Network member.

This Women’s Month, as I celebrated women’s strength and discussed health issues that affect us, I found myself on a personal quest for my menopause medication. For months, my hormone replacement therapy (HRT) patch had been a lifeline, improving my sleep, clarity, memory, patience and overall presence.

Then one day, it simply vanished from pharmacy shelves. It was unavailable. As a doctor, I understand that medicines can “disappear” for many reasons – manufacturing problems, supply chain issues, regulatory hurdles or procurement failures. Yet, knowing the intricacies behind the shortage doesn’t make the medicine any more accessible.

I started calling around and managed to get a higher-dose patch to maintain continuity, but it caused severe headaches. I even considered cutting it in half, an instinctive act of desperation.

It struck me how easily a patient can be nudged away from a carefully planned treatment plan into a world of makeshift solutions.

Fortunately, I have gynaecologists on speed dial, a privilege many women don’t have. Awareness of menopause is improving, but access to treatment remains a challenge. Even with a prescription, women may struggle to obtain the necessary medication, and a patch is a user-friendly option.

During my search, I spoke with pharmacists from two major pharmacy groups in South Africa (SA). I posed a provocative question: “What happens when medicines for erectile dysfunction are unavailable?” One pharmacist chuckled and said: “Men complain loudly; they fight. We make sure we have stock.” While I can’t generalise from one anecdote, it does make you ponder – whose grievances does our healthcare system prioritise? This isn’t to downplay the importance of erectile dysfunction medications for those who need them.

The larger issue is why women’s suffering, such as that caused by menopause, often goes unnoticed, and is expected to be endured in silence. Menopause affects half the population, yet it’s frequently dismissed as merely a natural part of ageing. Of course, women will manage and survive.

Still, strength shouldn’t equate to the absence of need, and resilience shouldn’t be an excuse for unnecessary suffering. Imbokodo is the woman who carries the weight of her world and knows that taking care of herself is not a sign of weakness.

Consider the teacher who suddenly seems a bit more short-tempered. The nurse who’s become unusually irritable. The executive who struggles to maintain focus in a crucial meeting. The woman who whispers, “I just don’t feel like myself anymore.”

Women’s health doesn’t just impact individuals; it ripples through families, workplaces, communities and economies.