LEGAZPI CITY – The first menopause clinic of the region opens at the Bicol Regional Hospital and Medical Center (BRHMC), ground floor of PSS building on Thursday, March 16.
In a media conference held at the second level of the BCC building, Dr. Vaneza VL. Penolio, a medical specialist and reproductive, endocrinology, and infertility specialist debunked misconceptions about menopausal stage.
Dr. Penolio said that menopause and menopausal stage is a taboo in the Philippines that most people do not like to address, hence, opening the clinic to cater women with their questions regarding the stage of menopausal is vital.
“We have to quash that misconception, it has to be addressed early to prevent the long term serious effects of the menopausal,” Dr. Penolio explained in an interview with Bicol.PH.
Moreover, women are also believed to be more productive in menopausal years, looking at the statistics with 657 million women worldwide aged 45-59 or 47% of the global workforce, most of them are also in their menopausal stage.
“They are decision makers; they are women that we worked with. We are at the top of our game that’s why we need to take care of ourselves,” Dr. Penolio added.
On the other hand, Dr. Penolio also dreamed to have localized menopause clinic in five to 10 years.
“I hope that even those in the rural health units already have a satellite menopause clinic that will be more referrals because we need to attend to these women.”
The menopause clinic starts its operation on Thursday, March 16 and offers free consultations, check-up, referrals for other medical treatment needed, tele-health – a consultation via phone and even virtual inquiries through their official Facebook page. | Aaron John Baluis, Ken Oliver Balde
Photos by: Ken Oliver V. Balde