Menopause is one of the final societal taboos which affects half the population. It’s all over the news: HRT shortages, new prescription charges from April 2023 and the appointment of a Menopause Tsar ...
It’s one HOT TOPIC (pun intended).

There is a Menopause Revolution afoot and it’s time for us all to become informed consumers so that we can offer, or seek, the right support so that the women who feel as if their world has been turned upside down and inside out no longer need to suffer in silence.

I thought it would be useful to clarify some facts about menopause as there is so much misunderstanding around.

Menopause is one day, yes you read that right. It’s one day, the last day of your last menses followed by 365 days of no menses (more commonly known as periods). The average age is 51 but women can go into menopause at any age. Additionally, we can consider premature menopause (early onset) and there is also medical menopause where the body is deliberately put into menopause, either through medication or a medical procedure. Once you have 365 days of no menses you are officially in menopause – there isn’t really post menopause because once you have gone through you are always in menopause.

Peri-menopause is the 5-15 years leading up to menopause where it can all start to feel like the wheels of the bus are falling off. Many women can start to experience all kinds of symptoms and the list is continually growing from the most talked about hot flushes and brain fog to anxiety whilst driving and tinnitus. If we did simple maths then we could class every woman over 36 as perimenopausal. Now, before you tear up your copy of Barrow Voice hear me out, because the more informed and educated we are then surely the more we can do to minimise the symptoms and, more importantly, ask for help sooner?

There are considered to be four phases of perimenopause and each woman will move through these in her own unique way. There is no one size fits all when it comes to menopause.

There are many ways to support your menopause transition and whilst it is for many, a natural time of life where a woman’s oestrogen, progesterone & testosterone decline, it often feels anything other than natural for so many as it can impact the quality of a woman’s life and those to whom she is close. Women who try to be ‘Superwoman’ all their lives, with families and work and supporting relatives, it is no longer acceptable to feel unsupported or ridiculed for loss of memory, hot flushes or changes in mood. Instead, we all need to gain a greater understanding, educate ourselves, younger women and their families on how to support themselves and their menstrual cycles so that we can change the impact of this transitional time.

The most important thing we can all do is start the conversation. If you haven’t done so already, share your experiences and concerns, talk at work – many companies now have menopause policies – talk to your GP, talk to a menopause expert and know that there are other options if you are one of the women who can’t have, doesn’t get on with, or doesn’t want hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

You could try looking at Menopause Matters: www.menopausematters.co.uk/ for information and support because menopause can be a transformational time of life where you get to write the next chapter of your life.

Mairi Taylor

Men also go through psychological and physical changes as they get older – known as the andropause. They become vulnerable to both physical and mental health issues. Is there any man out there who would be interested in writing – or contributing to, if you don’t want to write – a feature about men’s health?
Please contact editor@barrowvoice.co.uk