I caught up with the women behind Scotland’s first all-body women’s health event ahead of its Glasgow debut this October.
Every woman remembers the first time her hormones threw her off course. For some, it was the panic of a heavy first period at school, managed with whispered advice and a spare pad in a blazer pocket. For others, it was the creeping anxiety of their thirties and forties – sleepless nights, exhaustion, mood swings – long before anyone explained what “perimenopause” even was. For many, it’s the flushes, fatigue and brain fog of menopause itself.
The truth? Hormones shape every decade of a woman’s life. From puberty to post-menopause, they affect our mood, bone health, relationships, even our risk of heart disease. And yet, the conversation around hormones in Scotland is still largely reduced to one stage: menopause.
“We need to stop treating hormones as something women just put up with,” says Dr Joanne Hobson, community gynaecologist and menopause consultant. “If we empower women to understand their bodies earlier, they can recognise symptoms, ask the right questions, adjust their lifestyles, and protect their health for life.”
We already know the statistics are sobering. Healthy life expectancy for women in Scotland has dropped to 60. It takes an average of eight years for an endometriosis diagnosis. Gynaecology waiting lists have tripled in some areas. And behind every one of those numbers is a woman juggling work, family and relationships – often putting her own health last.
“The information gap is leaving women unsupported and unheard,” adds Dr Wendy Knoops of TMC. “From contraception myths to misinformation about HRT, many women are making decisions based on fear or half-truths. Trusted, evidence-based voices are vital.”
Policy can only go so far. The Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan is a positive step, but unless women feel confident enough to ask for the care they need, many will still fall through the cracks. Right now, too many do.
We still joke about “that time of the month”. We still dismiss brain fog or “baby brain”. And we still fail to explain to young women that what they’re experiencing in their twenties or thirties could be the start of a lifelong hormonal journey – not just “stress” or “bad luck”.
Earlier this month, Health Secretary Neil Gray announced £15m to boost GP recruitment as surgeries struggle to keep up with demand. It’s why events like Bettii Presents feel so urgent. “For too long, women in Scotland have had to rely on snippets from social media, rushed GP appointments, or not being able to get an appointment at all,” says founder Elaine Galston. “I created Bettii Presents to bring together female founders – clinicians, specialists, health technology entrepreneurs – alongside women with lived experience, to give women the tools, knowledge and confidence they deserve. This isn’t about wellness trends; it’s about trusted information, straight from the people who work on the frontline of women’s health.”
Dr Hobson agrees: “Our mission is to give women the knowledge and tools they need to make informed decisions about their health. October is also Menopause Awareness Month – a timely reminder that hormones are not just a midlife issue, but a lifetime one. Women in Scotland cannot afford to keep treating them as anything less.”
“I’ve waited my whole career for an event like this to become available – for myself and my patients – and I hope women across the country will come along to get the answers they so desperately need. This is about more than one event: it’s about creating a Scotland where women understand their own bodies, where myths no longer dictate care, and where hormones aren’t just a punchline but a pathway to lifelong health,” adds Dr Knoops.
This October in Glasgow, Bettii Presents will host more than 20 talks and 30 stalls covering everything from heavy periods and PCOS to early menopause, bone health, and pelvic floor workshops. Taking place on Sunday 5th October at The Engine Works, the event will also offer free blood pressure testing, grip strength tests and muscle, fat and bone analysis.
Tickets are available now at bettiipresents.co.uk.
