Experiences of menopause and MS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring women’s experiences of menopause and multiple sclerosis
IRAS ID
326744
Contact name
Imogen Collier
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen Mary University of London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
This study will explore women's experiences of living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and menopause. We aim to find out what it is like for women with MS to live through the menopausal transition. We are interested in learning about the ways in which living with MS and menopause impacts women's lives, what kinds of things impact their experiences, and the factors that influence their approach to managing both conditions.
Will recruit participants who identify as women, live in the UK, are 18 years of age or over, have a diagnosis of MS, and think that they are either perimenopausal (having irregular periods and/or menopausal symptoms) or postmenopausal (no menstrual periods for 12 months, or loss of periods due to surgery, illness or medical treatment). We will aim to include women with less common experiences of menopause (for example surgical, medical, early and premature menopause), women from minoritised ethnic backgrounds and women with progressive forms of MS, as these groups are under identified in existing studies.
Participants will answer a short questionnaire and take part in either a one-time individual interview or a one-time focus group with other women with MS. Questionnaires, interviews and focus groups will be online (MS Teams call), via telephone or in person according to the participants' preference. In-person data collection will be at an accessible, private space at Queen Mary University of London. Interviews will last approximately one hour and focus groups will last approximately two hours with scheduled breaks.
This study will take eighteen months to complete and will form part of a 3-year PhD research project.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/SW/0088
Date of REC Opinion
24 Jul 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion