New laws designed to improve menopause-related care for Illinois residents will soon go into effect, and a local nonprofit is aiming to educate the public on the changes.
Erin Cook was five months pregnant when she cofounded the staffing company, Connect Search, and she was dealing with periomenopause-related health challenges.
“Brain fog was huge, mood swings were huge, hot flashes. I didn’t really get that until a few years later, but the brain fog and then, you know, quite honestly, rage,” she said. “Brain fog is terrible and as a recruiter, it’s important that I can remember details.”
Several years later, after the birth of her second child, she started experiencing symptoms at age 41.
“I was actually in perimenopause, and I was also postpartum at the same time, so that was fun,” said Cook. “In my head, I thought 50 years old is when you go through menopause, which is not true. But that’s the education, that’s information that I had.”
She wasn’t finding the support she needed from her OB-GYN. So, she did her own research, and found Dr. Dana Russo, a functional medicine specialist focused on menopausal care. Like Erin, Russo noticed a gap in education and information available for women in perimenopause and menopause.
“Even in my residency in OB-GYN, we probably had one to two hours of dedicated lectures on menopausal care,” said Russo. “As I continued in my career and wanted to focus on menopausal and perimenopausal women in sexual health, I realized there was a niche of women that weren’t being cared for. I had to seek out additional education outside of my traditional training to find that I had adequate resources, education, knowledge-based, evidence-based medicine so I could take care of these women.”
To help women bridge the gap between navigating menopause and finding vetted, trusted resources, Russo cofounded The Menopause Collective with her partner, health and wellness coach Jill Foos.
“Women are really struggling to find out who to go to,” said Foos. “Whatever symptom that they’re experiencing, they’re struggling to find which doctor is going to help them manage this part of their life.”
The nonprofit connects women to doctors and experts in menopause care through live events, social media, a webinar series, and workplace education talks.
“Helping women become better self-advocates,” said Foos. “Right now, women don’t want to talk about menopause in the workplace. They’re afraid of being judged and maybe not relied upon to do their best work,” she said. “A lot of women are leaving the workplace and that shouldn’t be.”
“We’re at the prime of our life in midlife. And this is an opportunity, and I want women to see this as an opportunity, this door to walk through. [So] they have the resources. They have the skills to express what they’re feeling and ask for what they need,” she added.
Cook, who’s now a board member for the nonprofit, has implemented policies at her workplace to better accommodate menopausal women, including temperature controls and flexible hours. Beginning next year, all employers will be required to put similar policies in place. The Illinois Menopause Equity and Care Act takes effect in 2027, and expands workplace protections.
The act amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to add “menopause-related condition” to the conditions protected from unlawful discrimination. It requires “reasonable accommodations” in the workplace including flexible scheduling, modified work hours and a temperature adjusted workspace.
“Helping these companies understand that menopause goes beyond hot flashes. It comes with deficits in sleep deprivation, migraines, cognitive functions, mood changes, brain fog. And these are all legitimate healthcare reasons that cause women to not succeed and do their best at work,’ said Russo.
In 2028, the act also broadens insurance coverage in the state, to extend to perimenopause instead of just menopause, and adds coverage for medications for menopause-related osteoporosis and non-hormonal therapies for vasomotor symptoms.
Companion legislation also adds menopause education in medical school curricula.
“It’s taking menopausal care out of the shadows and bringing it into mainstream, and I think that’s the importance of these bills,” said Russo. “It’s bringing light to these changes that need to happen, the educational gaps that are there for physicians, even putting the emphasis on medical schools.”
The collective is hosting an event, The Chicago Menopause Retreat, on October 24 to connect women to resources.
Hence then, the article about 3 new menopause related laws will take effect in illinois soon experts say was published today ( ) and is available on NBC Chicago ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 3 new menopause-related laws will take effect in Illinois soon, experts say )
Also on site :
- ‘Scrubs’ Stars Zach Braff and Donald Faison Tease Fixing Fan Complaints and Nostalgic Cameos in Season 2 (Exclusive)
- Melania Trump’s Advisor Shades Tom Cruise’s ‘Digger’ After Box Office Bomb — Even Though ‘Melania’ Doc Also Flopped in Theaters
- The Hunting Wives Renewed For Season 3 Ahead Of Season 2 Premiere On Netflix