Today is World Menopause Day, a topic that is only becoming more and more discussed in the news, with celebrities such as Davina McCall and Lisa Snowden opening up about the battles that they have faced whilst going through the menopause.
At Verge, we believe the more the topic is spoken about, the more we can remove the stigma, and the more comfortable people will feel about discussing their own menopause. Because there should be no stigma.
And with that, we want men to stand up and take note, because men have the power to be more understanding and help women going through the menopause. Men need to better understand what women are going through, and that is exactly what Men-unPaused aims to do – a campaign by leading menopause skincare and wellbeing specialist Jennifer Young.
Research has shown that over 50% of women hide their menopause from their partner, and by making men more understanding, we can ensure that no woman feels the need to hide their menopause. Men need to be more active in spotting the signs.
Let’s be clear – the menopause will directly have an impact on men’s lives as well. Over 65% of marriages have been affected by menopause. Marriage breakdown and menopause are inextricably linked, hence men needing to become more understanding.
So what are the signs that men need to be on the lookout for?
Hot flushes are the most common symptom of the menopause, which can last as long as 5 minutes and occur up to 30 times a day.
It’s not just hot flushes, but chills that happen to up to 75% of women. Night sweats happen for up to 80% of women going through the menopause, and men should be taking note of whether their partner is going through these symptoms.
Weight gain is also another tell-tale sign of the menopause, as women on average gain 5 pounds in weight when going through the perimenopause – the first of the three stages of menopause, which is followed by the menopause and post menopausal period.
So men, take note of the symptoms. Make your partner feel re-assured that you are there for them, and that you can work through everything together. Your support and understanding of your partner’s problems will mean everything to them.
Jennifer Young is a leading menopause skincare and wellbeing specialist. For further information please visit: www.themenopauseplus.com.
