World Menopause Day 2026: Demand Publicly Funded DEXA Screening - All FSU Members

World Menopause Day 2026: Demand Publicly Funded DEXA Screening

https://www.fsunion.org/dexa-screening-program

Every year on October 18, we mark World Menopause Day. It is a day to raise awareness, break the stigma, and crucially advocate for the specific health needs of women in our workplaces and communities.

This year, we are focusing on a silent crisis affecting post-menopausal women: Osteoporosis.

Menopause brings a significant decline in estrogen, which acts as a protective factor for our bones, this can increase loss of bone density in post-menopausal women. For women over 50, this drop causes a steep rise in osteoporosis risk. This process accelerates bone density loss often silently, without symptoms, until a fracture occurs.

The statistics are stark. According to The Irish Osteoporosis Society:

• Only 19% of people with bone loss are diagnosed.
• 90% of fractured hips are due to Osteoporosis.
• 7 out of 10 hip fractures happen to women.

Our Demand this World Menopause Day: A Funded DEXA Screening Program

We are calling on the Government to roll out a funded DEXA screening program for women over 50. We included this demand in our recent FSU Budget Submission and have written to all TD’s and Senators in the Republic of Ireland.

We Are Asking Members to also Take Action: Send a Digital Postcard

We have launched a campaign tool to make your voice heard. Please visit our website to send a digital postcard directly to your local TD. It takes less than two minutes to demand that they prioritise women's bone health.

https://www.fsunion.org/dexa-screening-program

Hip and spine fractures at this age can lead to lasting disability and increased mortality. However, these outcomes are not inevitable.

Early detection saves lives and livelihoods. DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) scans are the gold standard for measuring bone mineral density. They catch osteopenia and osteoporosis before breaks happen. Routine screening is essential for guiding preventive treatment and protecting long-term mobility and independence.

Currently, access to these scans is inconsistent. You must be referred for a scan by your doctor, often with long waiting lists. Paying to go privately can be costly. We believe that early detection is far cheaper than the hospital, surgical, and long-term care costs of preventable fractures. Investing in a screening program is a sound financial decision for the State and a moral imperative for public health.

Get Involved: Join the FSU Women’s Network

This campaign is driven by members like you. If you want to be part of a community of women advocating for our health, rights, and equality in the workplace and beyond, we invite you to join the FSU Women’s Network.

The Network is a space for solidarity, information sharing, and collective action. Help us build a stronger voice for women in our union.

Email womensnetwork@fsunion.org to join.

Let’s mark World Menopause Day 2026 by moving from awareness to action.

In solidarity,

Your FSU Women’s Network