Petronella is a new menopause counselor in Norrbotten

According to the National Board of Health and Welfare, seven out of ten women between the ages of 45-60 experience some form of menopausal symptoms and every third woman experiences symptoms that are so severe that they seek care. At the same time, surveys show that care today is unequal and that the knowledge of the care staff is lacking.

Therefore, the authority has drawn up national guidelines for menopausal symptoms as support for care. At Region Norrbotten, it was recently decided to try to broaden knowledge throughout primary care instead of opening more menopause clinics.

- We need to organize the work in a slightly different way, says Camilla Friberg.

"Great need to increase knowledge"

So far, the region has trained three menopause counselors. The idea is that there will be more.

The sexologist and district midwife Petronella Bäck in Boden is one of the advisers who has started working actively with the assignment.

- We have seen that there is a great need to increase knowledge. Not only with the women, but also in healthcare, she says.

The dream: "Advisor at every health center"

The region recently decided that there will be no more menopause clinics under the region's auspices. It remains to be seen whether it is enough to broaden knowledge in primary care.

- Menopause should be managed at primary care level at the health centres, so I think you start there. But we'll see. The dream would be to have a menopause counselor at every health centre, says Petronella Bäck.