Mr. Speaker, this year, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada launched its national public awareness campaign called "Menopause: Let's talk about it". It is the first time in North America that a medical association launched such a significant campaign on the subject.
Between now and the year 2000, more than 40 million women in North America will be going through menopause, including 4 million in Canada. In other words, every ten seconds during the next 20 years, a woman in the baby-boomer generation will reach the age of menopause.
Menopause is no longer a taboo subject, but much remains to be done about prevention, since menopause increases, for instance, the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Women today can expect to live at least 30 years after menopause.
Life goes on after menopause, and prevention is the best guarantee for a good quality of life.