16 October, London, UK: Negativity surrounding the subject of menopause is increasing, according to research by digital women’s wellness magazine Living360. The research reveals UK women would like to be better informed about menopause (95%), are unsure of what to expect with the onset of menopause (70%) and are still unclear on what healthcare is available (over 60%).
Interestingly, women’s negative perceptions about the topic tend to increase from the start of perimenopause through to post-menopause. Even with increased media coverage and celebrities discussing menopause more, many women in the UK still feel unprepared and uninformed.
KEY FACTS
• 90% of pre-menopausal women report wanting to know more about menopause before it starts and, overall, 95% of women believe education and awareness of menopause needs to be improved for those yet to go through it.
• 70% of pre-menopausal women feel uninformed about the changes and symptoms to expect.
• Over 60% of women feel uninformed about the healthcare choices available during and after perimenopause, with women in perimenopause and post-menopause continuing to not know (63.1% and 64.2% respectively).
• Feelings of negativity towards menopause increase while going through it, with research revealing negativity rises from 28% to 61% in perimenopausal women and 22% to 37.9% in postmenopausal women.
• Young women today feel more negatively about menopause than those before them, as 54.1% of pre-menopausal women reported feeling negatively about this stage of life, in comparison to 22% and 28%, as detailed above.
Living360 editor Mattie Lacey-Davidson says: “The fact that women can go through perimenopause, which often lasts years, and still come away feeling uninformed about the healthcare choices available to them is shocking. The government and the NHS need to be doing more to help women.”
WHAT’S NOT WORKING: MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
Mattie says: “It’s a missed opportunity that the NHS Health Checks available every five years to anyone aged 40 to 74 (without certain pre-existing conditions) fail to mention menopause.”
The NHS Health Checks consist of a few basic measurements: height, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol; and lifestyle questions that can contribute to poor health such as smoking, drinking and exercise.
Mattie concludes: “Menopause is often compared to puberty but, in fact, it’s much more of a drastic change than that. There’s no other time a person in the UK would be expected to deal with such a variety of serious physical and mental health symptoms without regular medical support.”
Living360 surveyed 627 women over the age of 18 who were pre-, peri- and postmenopausal — 5.5% were unsure if perimenopause had started.
AT A GLANCE
Pre-menopausal women:
• 54.1% feel negatively about perimenopause, 35.6% feel indifferent
• 69.6% feel uninformed about what to expect
• 81.5% feel uninformed about healthcare available for perimenopause
• 91.1% wish they knew more
Perimenopausal women:
• Prior to perimenopause, 28% felt negatively (61% felt indifferent), changing to 61% feeling negative after it started (118% increase)
• 65.2% didn’t know what to expect
• 63.1% don’t feel informed about available healthcare options
Postmenopausal women:
• 22% felt negative prior, rising to 37.9% afterwards (72% increase)
• 64.2% still don’t feel informed about healthcare options
95% of all women surveyed think education needs to be improved for young women prior to entering perimenopause
FURTHER READING:
In support of Menopause Awareness Month taking place throughout October, and World Menopause Day on 18 October 2024, Living360 has published a variety of articles intended to raise women’s voices and help increase education and understanding.
Menopause treatments to discuss with your doctor: from HRT to non-hormonal options
5 natural and holistic menopause treatments to try