Teachers Health Group launches Australian-first menopause support partnership as demand for women's health solutions grows

Monday 29 June 2026: Teachers Health Group (THG) has today announced a new partnership with digital health platform UnPause, to better support women navigating perimenopause and menopause – a rapidly growing but often overlooked health issue in Australia.

The Australian-first partnership comes amid increasing attention on menopause, access to care and its impact on women’s health and wellbeing.

Through the collaboration, eligible THG members can access UnPause’s personalised, evidence-based digital platform and claim a benefit back from the fund - opening the door to expert-led support and real, practical care for perimenopause and menopause no matter where they live in Australia.

With women making up a significant proportion of the education (72%¹) nursing & midwifery (88%²) workforce, THG says the partnership is a direct response to member needs and marks a proactive shift toward closing gaps in women’s healthcare.

“For too long, menopause has been something women are expected to silently manage, push through and figure out on their own”, said Simone Tregeagle, CEO, Teachers Health Group. “Yet its impact on health, wellbeing and workforce participation is significant, and the support available simply hasn’t been available.”

“We recognise menopause as both an individual wellbeing and a workplace issue – especially in female-dominated sectors like education, nursing and midwifery” continued Tregeagle.

“As the first and only private health fund to offer a benefit towards menopause support programs under our members’ Extras cover, we’re going beyond advice to deliver ongoing care that fits into women’s everyday lives. With UnPause, we’re offering real care - accessible, personalised and designed to keep women well, confident and thriving.”

UnPause’s platform is designed to address the gap in knowledge and more importantly, access - offering a holistic, digital-first approach that supports women before, during and after menopause, with a focus on early intervention and long-term health outcomes.

Mary Coustas, Actress, Writer, Menopause Advocate & Co-Founder of digital health platform UnPause, said “I know the difference a great teacher, nurse and midwife can make to lives. I have been the beneficiary of those gifted and committed humans.

“It was my extraordinary teachers who singled out my talents which set me on my path.

And decades later it was the heartfelt nurses and midwives who supported me in my quest to have a child. They held my hand and were witness to my greatest loss and my eventual victory. These women are invaluable to us and everybody who matters to us. We need them to be celebrated, supported and healthy. That is UnPause’s mission.

“Teachers Health Group is leading the way by offering unprecedented support to their members and the perfect health fund for us to partner with. We want to make a difference and together we can.”

By improving access to care, the initiative aims to:

• Support women to remain healthy and engaged at home and at work
• Reduce the impact of unmanaged symptoms
• Encourage earlier, preventative health action
• Improve long-term wellbeing outcomes

Alongside access to care, THG and UnPause will work together to celebrate and accelerate conversations about menopause care - helping reduce stigma and ensuring women feel supported both in healthcare settings and at work.

Find out more here: Menopause support benefit | Teachers Health

¹Acara National Schools Statistics Collection (NSSC), August 2025.
² AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2024) Health workforce, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 15 June 2026

--ENDS--

For further information or to speak with Mary Coustas (UnPause) or Simone Tregeagle (CEO, Teachers Health Group), please contact:

Angela McCann
Teachers Health Group
e: angela.mccann@teachershealth.com.au
m: 0414 330 879

About Teachers Health Group
Teachers Health Group (THG) is health insurance for teachers, the education community, the nursing and midwifery community and their families. The organisation encompasses Teachers Health, Nurses & Midwives Health, UniHealth, Teachers Union Health (TUH) and Union Health.

Created by teachers for teachers over 70 years ago, Teachers Health Group has grown to encompass Australia’s largest industry-based health fund and one of the nation’s leading not-for-profit health insurers. Teachers Health Group focuses on what matters most – supporting the health and wellbeing of our members. THG gives back to and invests in the education, nursing and midwifery communities through scholarships, sponsorships and health and wellbeing programs.

About
UnPause is an Australian digital health provider who specialises in perimenopause, menopause and
midlife health. Launching in October 2025, UnPause started with a fed-up truth and exists to counter the dismissal, misdiagnosis and outdated advice many women face.

Designed so any midlife woman in any postcode can access quality healthcare, UnPause offers straight-talking education, shared decision making, evidence-based treatment plans and ongoing personalised care pathways. For employers of midlife women, UnPause offers tailored workplace programmes, as menopause is one of the most overlooked drivers of attrition, burnout and stalled careers. By helping women feel like themselves again, UnPause helps midlife women move forward, not pause.

Why menopause matters: the statistics

Around 1.8–2.2 million Australian women between the ages of 40-60 are likely to be in perimenopause or menopause right now.

Government health data shows:

• Most women reach menopause between 45–55.
• Perimenopause typically begins 4–8 years earlier, meaning many women from 40–51 are in the transition.

Source: ABS and Department of Health & Aged Care

The workforce impact

• 70% of Australian women go through peri+menopause while still employed
• 20,000 women shift from full-time to part-time work due to symptoms
• 10,000 leave the workforce and later return
• 4,000 retire early every year because symptoms make work unsustainable
• Menopause contributes to reduced participation, early exit and reluctance to pursue promotions (Source: ASFA; Parliament of Australia)
• Menopause costs Australian organisations more than $10 billion a year in absenteeism, turnover, recruitment, stalled career progression and lost institutional/corporate knowledge (Source: Macquarie Business School, 2022-2025).

The economic + superannuation impact

• The cost to women in lost earnings is $17 billion (Source: Macquarie Business School, 2022-2025)
• Moving from full-time to 3 days/week at age 51 → equates to approximately $25,000 less super at retirement
• A 2-year career break at 51 → equates to approximately $30,000 less super
• Early retirement (≈5 years) → equates to $60,000 less super
• Menopause is a material driver of the gender super gap and midlife career stagnation (Source: ASFA)

The daily functioning impact

• 75% of midlife women experience symptoms with 25% reporting moderate–severe impact
• 50% say symptoms affect work, relationships or daily functioning
• Many report not seeking care or feeling dismissed by clinicians (Source: Jean Hailes National Women’s Health Survey, 2023)
• 10% of people in regional Australia have no access to any primary healthcare services within a 60-minute drive from their home (Source: Royal Flying Doctor Service – Best For The Bush Survey, 2023).