PERIMENOPAUSE - navigating post-fertility abroad - and why I'm making it my mission...
- May 28, 2025
- 3 min read
Looking back now, I wasn’t just embarrassed. I was scared. I didn’t recognize myself, and I didn’t know how to ask for help. It took months of research - books, blogs, Substacks, medical papers, online forums - and more than a few tearful nights before I started to connect the dots between the symptoms I was experiencing in my whole body and mind, and perimenopause.
Eventually, I found the right care. But I had to fight for it. And I know I’m one of the lucky ones. I had time, resources, and relentless curiosity. Not everyone does. That’s why I’m now working to change the way menopause is talked about, taught, and treated, especially in France, where navigating healthcare as an expat can already feel overwhelming. I want better medical training, better research funding, and better support for the millions of women experiencing perimenopause and menopause without answers.
June 4: The M Factor Paris Screening & Panel Discussion
If you’ve ever searched online for information about menopause symptoms, you know how confusing and contradictory it can be. Between the science, the influencers, and the 18 billion dollar “menopause market,” it’s hard to know what’s credible.
That’s why I’m hosting the first public screening in France of The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause on June 4, 2025 at Luminor Cinema in the Marais. The film offers evidence-based insight into the true impact of menopause on women’s lives. It’s informative, empowering, and yes, a little controversial. Critics have noted that some of the expert contributors have industry ties and that the film occasionally stretches the conclusions it draws from limited data. But to me, that’s exactly why we need to talk about it.
After the screening, we’ll host a Q&A panel with practicing doctors who will weigh in on the film’s claims, share their clinical experience, and offer guidance for women navigating this phase.
Why This Event Matters for Expat Women Living Abroad
If you’re dealing with culture shock, navigating the complexities of your adopted nation’s social security scheme, juggling multiple languages, careers, and a sense of identity in a foreign country, perimenopause can feel like one more unpredictable curveball.
It can impact our moods, our energy, our sleep, our relationships - and our ability to parent and live in the way we want to. And often, we don’t even realize it’s happening.
But when we’re informed, we’re empowered. And when we connect with others, we have space to heal.
That’s why, after the panel, we’re hosting a networking reception. This is a chance to meet other women, share stories, and continue the conversation. Whether you’re navigating this phase yourself or supporting someone who is, you’re welcome. Whether you’re just beginning to notice subtle changes or deep in the trenches of hormone upheaval, this event is for you. Menopause isn’t something we should just tolerate. It’s a major transition that deserves real information, real support, and real community.
My Story
For me, the breaking point came not in a doctor’s office, but over dinner. I was out with friends at a chic restaurant in Paris 7ème when I suddenly noticed a deep red stain on the white silk-covered bench beneath me. Blood. Through my jeans. In that moment, I was no longer a confident, accomplished woman in my fifties, I was 14 again. Humiliated. Confused.
I’d been dealing with a cascade of symptoms such as joint pain, UTIs, memory lapses, mood swings, joint aches, tinnitus, and dry vagina. But no one had ever brought up menopause. Not me. And certainly not any of the five doctors I’d seen. I blamed it on stress. On expat life. On anything but what it actually was.
That dinner changed everything. Now, I’m working to change things for others.
Please join us on June 4 for an evening of clarity, connection, and empowerment. Let’s start talking. And let’s make sure no woman is left to navigate this alone.
Details:
Wednesday June 4, 2025
19h-21.30h (7-9.30pm)
Luminor Cinema 20 Rue du Temple, Paris 75004
Tickets – 25€ (plus ticketing fee)
Buy your ticket here https://www.messageparis.org/event-details/the-m-factor-in-paris-1
Book your ticket now, seats are limited. Be part of the conversation. I really look forward to seeing you there.
Christine Siler
Menopause Policy Advocate
Bio Information:
Christine Siler is a Paris-based Menopause Policy Advocate. She works with menopause experts and associations to help streamline the processes for updating and activating new guidelines, change regulations, maximize public awareness, and achieve minimum training standards for the medical community.
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