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First national living menopause guideline to be developed
The Federal Government is funding a new clinical guideline aimed at caring for women experiencing menopause and perimenopause.
The first national living clinical guideline for perimenopause and menopause will be developed over the next two years.
Plans are underway for Australia’s first national living clinical guideline aimed at caring for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause, the Federal Government has announced.
Development of the guideline will be led by the Australian Living Evidence Collaboration (ALEC) at Monash University, Assistant Health and Ageing Minister Rebecca White announced on Thursday.
‘Over the next two years, these guidelines will bring together peak health professional bodies from across Australia to develop guidance that will provide better outcomes for people experiencing perimenopause and menopause,’ ALEC said.
It says the guidelines will cover the ‘diagnosis, assessment and management of menopause and menopause-related symptoms and key long-term health considerations’, as well as addressing the early postmenopausal period.
The development of the guidelines is being backed by $2.9 million in Federal funding over three years from 2025–26, with ALEC working in partnership with the Australasian Menopause Society, the Endocrine Society of Australia, Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.
The RACGP is also nominating a representative for the steering committee.
‘These guidelines will give health professionals the evidence they need to better support women experiencing perimenopause and menopause,’ Assistant Minister White said.
‘This is another practical step in improving women’s health and helping women access informed, consistent care when they need it.’
She said the result will be ‘living’ guidelines that are updated when fresh evidence emerges.
Draft recommendations will be shared publicly for feedback.
The move to develop the guidelines follows a 2024 Senate Inquiry report, which found significant gaps in medical education on menopause and perimenopause.
‘The issue of menopause training for medical practitioners cannot be underestimated,’ it stated.
‘The current level of education received at medical schools is clearly insufficient.
‘The committee was alarmed to hear that most medical students only spent an hour on the topic of menopause during their undergraduate studies given it will affect more than half the population.’
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