Hot Flash: How the Law Ignores Menopause and What We Can Do About It

Women are questioning how and if the medical system will support them as they navigate menopause, an often stigmatized, under-researched, and under-resourced phase of life. Pace Law School professors Waldman and Bridget Crawford (coauthors of Menstruation Matters) and Naomi Cahn (Univ. of Virginia Sch. of Law; Fair Shake) take a much-needed policy-oriented approach to the growing conversation around menopause. Their book provides detailed information about the history of misogyny and misinformation surrounding menopause, explores workplace inequities and laws related to the topic, and offers readers recommendations for how to advocate for themselves. Throughout the book are discussions of common yet underrecognized menopause symptoms, such as brain fog. It also discusses capitalist economies that exploit people’s fears about the aging process, referencing everything from pop culture to public policy and laws that promote bias, stigmas, and silence.