Kirsten Gillibrand

The first-ever congressional hearing on menopause is coming with a request to the federal government: Evaluate how to better fund treatment and research of menopause and healthcare for middle-aged women.

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat who convened the Wednesday hearing, and Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a Republican, are slated to announce the request in a letter to the Government Accountability Office, which investigates how the government uses federal funds.

“Considering the importance of a rigorous health research agenda for women, we are interested in a GAO report related to menopause, with a focus on the federal government’s role in advancing research, ensuring access to evidence-based treatments, and strengthening oversight of existing programs,” reads the letter, which was also signed by Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, a Democratic from Maryland, and three Democratic women in the House.

The hearing, titled “Half the Country, Zero Hearings: Meeting the Moment to End the Menopause Care Gap in America” and held by the Senate Committee on Aging, which is chaired by Scott, will focus on topics such as training physicians in caring for menopausal patients and increasing funding for research into the topic. Speakers will include gynecologists and other experts who study menopause and treatment options.

“I am proud to lead the fight to get this critical healthcare issue out in the open so that we can find the best ways to improve research, training and care for women experiencing menopause,” Gillibrand said in a statement to The 19th. “I am committed to working with all of my colleagues — men and women, Democrats and Republicans — to meet the moment on menopause.”

Menopause has seen an explosion of interest in recent years. Most statehouses have considered menopause-related bills, including those that would require insurance to cover menopause treatments and expand hormone therapy coverage for state employees going through menopause. Laws have passed in states of all political stripes, including Illinois, Louisiana, Utah and California. Multiple bills are under consideration in Congress, including legislation that would increase funding for research, address medical education and provide workplace accommodations for people experiencing menopause symptoms. None are likely to pass before the November midterm elections.

“This issue has way more resonance than members of Congress or everyday voters realize. I hope this hearing is part of that education,” said Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, the executive director of the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center at New York University’s School of Law, who is testifying at the hearing. She is also the author of the forthcoming book “When in Menopause: A User’s Manual and Citizen’s Guide.”

“The progress we’ve seen in the states has been remarkable. I don’t know if there’s an issue that’s moved this quickly with bipartisan support in noncontroversial ways,” Weiss-Wolf said.

About 30 percent of women in the workforce are between the ages of 45 and 60, which is when most will experience symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. That can include hot flashes and night sweats, but also heavy bleeding, pain during sex and mood swings.

Figures range, but the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research group, estimates that menopause symptoms result in losses of $5.4 billion annually, largely due to women retiring early or scaling back their involvement in the workforce as symptoms worsen.

“What I’m hoping to do is go in there and show all the enthusiasm and knowledge I have about why bipartisan bills are passing in state after state — and bring this adrenaline to Congress,” Weiss-Wolf said.