Demystifying Menopause Through Community Conversations: About The M Factor Screening

By: Yeleeya Li 

March 31, 2026

The Vulvovaginal Interdisciplinary Pain Experiences and Research (VIPER) Lab primarily focuses on understanding vulvovaginal pain conditions. One of the missions of the lab is to engage the community in the understanding of reproductive and sexual pain through community initiatives, such as support groups and collaborations with student organizations and institutions.

In March 2025, the VIPER lab hosted a screening of The M Factor, a one-hour PBS documentary explaining barriers in receiving and providing menopause care. After the screening, an expert panel, featuring local reproductive care providers, answered questions from attendees. 

The event provided a space for participants to address misconceptions about menopause and share their stories. Dr. Lisa Miller, a pharmacist and professor at the UF College of Pharmacy, served as one of the panelists during the event. She explained that lack of menopause knowledge is common: “Women don’t know where to go or what to do.” Though menopause is a universal experience among half of the population, stigma has made it difficult to facilitate cross-generational and patient-provider dialogues.

This rang true for Taylor*, a 57 year old woman experiencing menopause, who was invited to the event by a friend. She had had poor interactions with physicians in the past who did not acknowledge menopause’s role in her overall health. Through the screening, she realized that millions of others were dealing with the same issue: the lack of menopause dialogue. “I was embarrassed. I had no information, no resources…I had no awareness that it was a normal thing.”

But times are changing. There is increased demand for menopause education among providers in every practice – after all, menopause affects all aspects of health. People of all ages have seen the importance of learning about menopause, one such example being Kathleen “Kate” Glass, a fourth year anthropology major, who initially joined the screening after hearing about it in class. She better understood her mother’s complex experiences with menopause through the documentary. Wanting to get involved, Glass contacted physician Dr. Lisa Chacko, one of the panelists. Now, she serves as a scribe and research assistant for Dr. Chacko’s practice, supporting others through menopause. Glass commented: “The more I learn, the more I can connect back to my own life…and what people are going through.”

There is still a lot of work to be done. Though there is less stigma surrounding menopause compared to the past, institutions and environments have still not adapted to fully support menopausal needs. 

Taylor expressed the need for easier access to menopause care and resources. Her menopause experience differed from what was typically portrayed in the media (i.e. hot flashes, mood swings), and she felt lost and confused about her health, unaware that menopause specialists existed. Dr. Miller explained this lack of knowledge creates space for misinformation, making educational events increasingly important: “Women want to talk about it. They’re not gonna sit back anymore and say ‘I’m just gonna do this silently like my grandmother and mom did, they want to have answers to their questions.’”

Though the VIPER lab’s research focus mainly concerns vulvovaginal pain, not menopause specifically, it’s undeniable that public awareness and reproductive health are inextricably tied together. Reproductive health is never one issue, but a continuum of experiences.  

*name changed for anonymity

Atlas, J. (Director). (2024). The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause. Women in the Room Productions; Take Flight Productions. https://themfactorfilm.com/