Dr Nighat Arif is a GP with a specialist interest in women’s health, based in Buckinghamshire. In this week’s podcast, Dr Nighat Arif talks openly with Dr Newson about her work educating and empowering women from different ethnic groups about the menopause. Many women from ethnic minorities think the menopause is a condition that only affects Caucasian women or it is a western phenomenon. However, it is well known that many women are experiencing symptoms such as pains in their bodies, “head to toe pain”, low mood and anxiety which are being misdiagnosed and inappropriately managed as these symptoms are not being linked to the menopause. Although language is often a barrier to consultations with a healthcare professional, there are also many cultural differences that need to be explored. Many women’s health issues, including the menopause, are kept “under the veil” and not spoken about. In this episode, Dr Newson and Dr Arif also talk about other taboo subjects such as vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and how that affects marital relationships in a conservative community. 

Dr Nighat Arif offers three take home tips in Punjabi to help break down barriers and empower women from South Asian Communities to not accept their menopausal symptoms and suffer in silence.  

Dr Nighat Arif’s Three Top Tips:

1. For all women, please keep a symptom diary. No symptom is silly and this is useful to your doctor during the 10-minute consultation.
2. Never deny yourself treatment, there are always risks and benefits to every treatment and only your health and wellbeing will suffer if you don’t seek help.
3. Don’t suffer in silence!

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Dr Louise Newson has been working closely with Dr Radhika Vohra, a GP with special interest in women’s health and menopause, to release a series of menopause information videos that have been translated into Punjabi.

Dr Vohra qualified in 2000 from the University of Birmingham Medical School (MBChB) and started her GP training in the Midlands. In 2005, she relocated to Surrey and continues to work as an NHS and private GP. Whilst enjoying all the challenges of General Practice, her special interests have always been Women’s Health and she is a Faculty Registered Trainer for the FSRH, Educator and NHS Appraiser. Dr Vohra works at the Menopause & Women’s Health Clinic in Surrey. She understands the challenges women face at each stage of their lives and offers women an opportunity to consult with confidence in the advice and treatment they receive. She is fluent in English, Punjabi and Hindi.

Speaking of the new series of Punjabi translated videos, Dr Vohra says:

Presentation of perimenopause and menopause in South Asian women can vary like all women. Many women find it to be a frightening experience coupled with a cultural ‘taboo” that means it may not be discussed and spoken openly. To add to this, there is a shortage of counselling material in their native language. I recall my own mother and aunts struggling with tiredness, flushes and weight changes.

Due to a lack of information and GP consulting, they were oblivious that these were not just short term struggles and to the long term risks of menopause to their heart, bones and mental health. My aim is to present videos in Punjabi, which is the 10th most widely spoken language, to empower Punjabi speaking women to understand and make informed decisions at this time as their health changes rapidly. This should allay the worries they may have regarding perimenopause, menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy and allow informed decisions regarding their care.

Watch the full Punjabi video series here

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