It was confirmed this week that plans are being finalised to fund the cost of HRT for women who need it
Women in Ireland have campaigned for this for a long time and now it finally looks like the powers-that-be have listened and taken note.
On Monday, 12 August, it was revealed that hundreds of thousands of women could be eligible for free hormone replacement therapy (HRT) under new plans being finalised by Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly.
HRT medication replaces the hormones that naturally start to deplete during menopause and help with many symptoms including mood swings, night sweats, hot flushes and vaginal dryness. It comes in various forms including pills, gels, pessaries and creams and, up until now, has only been provided for those with a medical card.
The news has been greeted with much relief and joy by women around the country and has been described as a ‘vital step forward’ for supporting women battling debilitating menopausal symptoms.
Loretta Dignam, CEO of The Menopause Hub, had called at the weekend for free HRT and midlife health checks for women to be included as part of October’s budget.
Ms Dignam said, “This is a vital step forward in supporting the health of tens of thousands of menopausal women in Ireland. Since the foundation of The Menopause Hub, our key messages have centred around awareness, accessibility and affordability.
“As someone who has been professionally advocating for free HRT for more than four years, I am thrilled with this announcement. This also gives the State the opportunity to be thought leaders internationally, as we were with the workplace smoking ban and the plastic bag levy.”
Laura Dowling aka. Fabulous Pharmacist on Instagram is a passionate advocate of affordable medical care for women and called the move ‘real progress’.
Speaking on her page, she said, “This is a brilliant day for the women of Ireland and their families because it isn’t just the woman that is affected by the menopause – it’s her entire family, her friends, her co-workers. The whole of society is affected by this. This is real progress.”
Latest census figures show the number of women in the menopausal age bracket of 45-64 in Ireland is now 651,846, with 418,989 of these still in employment.
The Menopause Hub is Ireland’s first dedicated clinic devoted to treating menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms, and has clinics in Mount Merrion, South Dublin, Santry, North Dublin and Ballincollig, Co. Cork. The clinics have treated more than 10,000 women since opening in 2019.
Details of the publicly-funded HRT scheme are expected to be unveiled in the coming weeks.
