“I think as women, we just want to be heard.” Patrina Jones tackles the menopause minefield in new podcast

Openness and honesty are two things Patrina Jones holds dear.

They’re qualities for which she’s loved by listeners in her role on Gold 104.3’s The Christian O’Connell Show.

Now Pats – as she’s affectionately known – is tackling the often taboo topic of menopause, in her unapologetically authentic way.

Today sees the launch of her new podcast, Rage Against The Menopause with ARN’s iHeart.

Pats’ mission? To change the narrative and normalise conversations around perimenopause and menopause.

Pats tells Radio Today the experience of creating and hosting the podcast has been a fulfilling one.

“It’s actually been really heart-warming and affirming, the wave of support I’ve had from women, especially listeners of our brekky show.”

“Each time we’ve touched on this topic on-air, the response from our audience – female and male – has been really overwhelming. “

“Women want this. Women need this, and I feel really proud to use my profile to launch a podcast where we throw inhibition to the wind and dedicate each episode to a frank discussion about this stage of life.”

Listeners often convey that they enjoy hearing Pats talk about day-to-day life because she’s so relatable.

She describes herself as a chronic over-thinker.  A perfectionist.  Kick-arse. Powerful.  A cancer survivor. A warrior. But, most importantly, a west suburban wife and mum.

Since perimenopause reared its head, Pats admits she has felt completely out of control at times, lacking information and totally unprepared.

Now, she’s on a mission to change all that.

Pats says Rage Against The Menopause isn’t just for women who are embarking on this rollercoaster part of their lives.

“It’s for their partners, grappling with how to help them navigate it. It’s also for younger women.”

“I want to leave a legacy for my teenage daughter, in the hope she won’t face the code of silence currently around the topic.”

“I think the funny, raw and at times confronting content will build a community of support for other women to find the power and strength of menopause.”

Some brilliant women have jumped on board as guests.

They include Dr Sarah White, CEO of Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (Australia’s first women’s health clinic and only the second in the world dedicated to menopause), Kaz Cooke, Alison Daddo and ABC presenter Imogen Crump, who ‘fessed up to having a hot flush while live on national TV.

The author of this article gets a guernsey too!

Pats notes that perimenopause and menopause throw out many challenges in terms of symptoms, relationships and the impact in the workplace.

“One in three women are going through it, yet there’s this big, ugly stigma around it,” she says. “I want it to be talked about as much as conception, pregnancy and birth.”

As far as Pats is concerned, they’re important conversations, and we need to have more of them.

“I think as women, we just want to be heard.”

Rage Against The Menopause is available now on the free iHeart app or wherever you get your podcasts.