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Taking Five With Dr Ginni Mansberg

From empowering women through menopause, podcasting, TV presenting and running skincare line ESK, there’s really nothing the vibrant Dr Ginni Mansberg can’t do. As the next guest on our upcoming webinar Thriving in Menopause, Dr Ginni will dive into the realities of menopause, what HRT is and how to tackle menopause head on and with humour. We caught up with her before the event to learn a little more about her background and why she’s so passionate about menopause.

Dr Ginni, can you tell us about your background?

I’m a slashie- so a GP, a TV presenter, podcaster, speaker, author, non-executive director, consultant and entrepreneur (I have a cosmeceutical skincare company called ESK). My clinical interests are all things women’s health - especially menopause!

What drew you to becoming a GP?

This was not a long-held conviction. Nothing I ever do has a lot of planning. GP was what I fell into because I kept having babies while my friends were roaring through specialty training. I wasn’t organised enough to arrange nannies. My son who is 28 is - I assume- still on the waiting list for day care at Prince of Wales hospital. I grew to love General Practice passionately once in it.

Why are you so passionate about the ‘M-word’?

Again, this was more of an accident. I host DriveTime medical which is an educational podcast for women interviewing experts for various topics - and we started doing more on menopause. I was literally blown by how much I didn’t know about menopause! I was approaching 50 and lots of my patients were coming to me with questions I couldn’t answer. So, I joined the Australian Menopause Society, joined countless webinars, read endless studies and taught myself. This has given me an even greater love of my work. Helping women at this time of life is a privilege that is not lost on me. I’m very grateful for this accidental career turn.

Why do you think there is still such a stigma around menopause?

It combines femininity and age. So two ‘isms’ in one phase. Plus it is genuinely a natural phenomenon. So I was taught exactly ZERO about menopause on my way through training as a doctor. Combine stigma with a lack of knowledge from the experts and women are the biggest losers. It breaks my heart.

Top piece of advice for women entering this new rite of passage?

This is a GREAT time of life. You might have reached some financial stability you could only have dreamed of. Your career has been more successful than it was 20 years ago. You have more confidence and knowledge and aren’t plagued with that self doubt and awkwardness that held you back when you were younger. Plus your kids might be finally leaving the nest - or at least being more independent. Don’t let your body hold you back now!

How do you see the health industry changing over the next few years?

It already is. Women in our 50s are the most (until now) untapped consumer group. We outspend our younger sisters significantly on everything from cars and gym memberships to beauty and fashion. No lie! And where the money goes, the companies follow. There are entire drug companies who have dusted off their women’s health divisions and coming up with products in this space. We’re starting to have these conversations and women are finally addressing the medical aspects of this phase that are a drag on our performance and enjoyment of this time of life.