As the saying goes, we really are what we eat. Our diets and nutrition impact almost all of our bodies processes—all the way from our metabolism to our mental health. But one often overlooked area is how food can impact our fertility. Nutrition plays a big role in keeping our hormones harmonious, with bad diets being linked to hormone imbalances and even reproductive health problems. Our diet is often linked…
Knowledge Center
Why should you test your hormones?
Read moreFirst, let’s get back to basics… What even are hormones? Put simply, hormones are small chemical messengers that travel through the blood to different parts of your body. They help control many different functions from growth and development to metabolism (how your body gets energy from the food you eat), menstrual cycles, fertility and mood, just to name a few! Hormones are made by special cells in a network of…
Being a 21st Century Employer – Supporting Women Through Menopause
Read moreMenopause is a reproductive life stage for any woman when they can no longer conceive and stop having periods. This period (and perimenopause that comes before) is associated with different symptoms, such as hot flushes, trouble sleeping, low mood and anxiety, which can often be disruptive to their daily lives. Why should employers care about menopause? Over 12 million women and gender diverse people at the workplace in the UK…
How to support employees going through fertility treatment in the workplace?
Read moreStill, a hushed and taboo topic – almost 1 in every 6 couples have fertility issues in the UK-that’s about 3.5 million. The global infertility rate is increasing as people choose to have children later in their lives, with the average age to have a first child now 30.7 years in the UK. This means that fertility treatment is becoming more and more common. Infertility and the fertility treatment journey…
How can period pain impact your employees?
Read moreA 2019 BMJ study found that up to 14% of women took time off work during their menstrual periods due to symptoms such as heavy bleeding and period pain, with 3.4% reporting absenteeism almost every monthly menstrual cycle. Furthermore, over 80% found themselves less productive due to their period symptoms for 23.2 days a year on average. Unfortunately, period pain is incredibly common. Many might manage it with home remedies…
Why should reproductive health be a part of your mental health benefits?
Read moreCOVID-19 and the shift to remote working has catalysed the demand for mental health benefits – it is now a “must have” for employers in 2021. In fact, in a recent survey, 91% of respondents stated that a company’s culture should support mental health. It is no coincidence that mental well-being is included in how reproductive health is defined by the World Health Organisation, stating that “Reproductive health is a…
How to support LGBTQ+ employees
Read moreDeciding to start a family is never an easy process, but for some employees who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, their journey to parenthood might need some more support. Being a 21st-century employer means establishing an inclusive, progressive and supportive work environment to attract and retain employees. A 2017 study by Mercer found that 33% of UK respondents do not offer equal benefits to LGBTQ+ employees because they…
COVID-19 Vaccine and Fertility – Take Part in Research
Read moreAs we approach two years of living in a pandemic, the focus is turning to COVID-19 boosters to ensure the nation stays protected. Whilst there are no known risks to women’s reproductive health of the COVID-19 vaccine, little is known about the effects on menstrual cycles and hormone levels. Throughout the pandemic, we have received countless questions from our community asking for information on the COVID vaccine and fertility, and…
Menopause 101: The Signs, Symptoms and Treatments
Read moreApproximately 25 million people go through menopause every year. Despite it directly affecting half of the population, knowledge and understanding around menopause remains incredibly low. In light of World Menopause Day, we are here to help change that. Here’s all you need to know about the inevitable, yet natural transition. What is menopause? The word ‘menopause’ can be broken up into two segments – ‘Meno’ refers to your menstrual cycle…
Testosterone 101: Understanding Your Testosterone Levels
Read moreIt’s become a common misconception, that when it comes to sex hormones, those born female are driven by oestrogen and those born male are driven by testosterone. But the reality is, all sexes have these hormones running through their bodies, just in different quantities. So if testosterone isn’t just for testes-bearers, what does it do in your body? And what can the knock-on effects of an imbalance be? Welcome to…