For many Australians, going through menopause can often be an isolating and distressing time.
The struggle to access women's health services in regional and remote Australia is not an uncommon experience.
But even GP and obstetrician Corina Sims did not realise the gap in knowledge and information given to regional patients until she started going through menopause herself.
Corina Sims is a rural GP and obstetrician in Renmark. (Supplied: Corina Sims)
"I realised there was a lot of information I had not been giving my patients in terms of symptom management," she said.
Dr Sims, along with multiple health professionals in South Australia's Riverland region, have made it their mission to change the current narrative of regional women's health.
Dr Sims recently opened Together Through Menopause and Perimenopause, run out of Renmark Medical Clinic, to meet local demand for specialist appointments.
"[It's] for women who might be experiencing perimenopausal symptoms, or women who are just kind of in that mid-life transition phase and want more information," she said.
Dr Sims said the small clinic is already at capacity, and takes a "holistic approach" to healthcare.
"Managing symptoms, identifying risk factors, managing those risk factors, making sure that things aren't falling through the cracks like regular screening [and] looking at cardiovascular risk factors in particular," she said.
Dr Sims says often women miss out on gaining information about wellbeing. (ABC Riverland: Elyse Armanini)
More regional services needed
Elizabeth Eske is a women's continence and pelvic health physiotherapist, also based in Renmark.
"I've been a physiotherapist in the Riverland for about 10 years, and probably about five years into my career I noticed there was a massive shortage on women's health services here," she said.
Ms Eske's clinic is the only specialised clinic in the Riverland region. (Supplied: Bec Shaw Photography)
Women's & Pelvic Health Physio Riverland opened in January 2022, and Ms Eske has been steadily busy since seeing anyone from teenagers to post-menopausal people.
"Our clinic is the only specialised clinic in the region that offers these services," she said.
"We have a really good referral basis from other physiotherapists and other health professionals in the region, which is great."
National Rural Health Alliance chief executive Susi Tegen has lived and worked in rural and remote Australia for most of her working life and said it was difficult to achieve equitable services.
Susi Tegen says no one in Adelaide is asked to travel to the Riverland or other regional towns to access services. (Supplied: National Rural Health Alliance)
"Delivering a service in Adelaide is totally different to delivering it in Renmark or Port Augusta, you have higher needs and a larger Aboriginal population, you have people that are aging," she said.
"You actually need fit for purpose programs that are funded well."
In her experience it is very rare to have a town serviced by two providers and the programs run by Ms Eske and Dr Sims highlighted the need for support and training.
"Without supporting and training people willing to work in rural and remote Australia, there is this disconnect between city policy and funding," she said.
"We need to flip the discussion, we know that every Australian pays their taxes and their Medicare levy, they contribute to the economy and they also deserve the care seen by their metropolitan counterparts."
Good things to come
Both Dr Sims and Ms Eske are hopeful the availability of specialist services in the Riverland does not remain an exception to the rule across regional Australia.
"Speaking to colleagues I know there are women's health physiotherapists in regional areas already, but they're few and far between, and a lot of them are working out of already established physiotherapy clinics," Ms Eske said.
"I think we're doing pretty well to provide a service to women not only in the Riverland, but also in the Mallee and from Mildura (Victoria) as well."
Dr Sims said more support for women's health was needed, but the future looked positive.
"I think the voices are getting louder … change is coming," she said.
"We will be doing this better in the future.
"There will be more education, not only for our medical system, but for people in general to support those women … so they have a better understanding of what they're actually going through."