More than a quarter of men in the UK have very little understanding of what menopause is, according to a new survey, and nearly a fifth admitted they wouldn’t know how to respond or react if their partner is (or was) experiencing menopause symptoms.
The UK-wide survey of men in a relationship with a female partner, from 3Gem Research & Insights, revealed that 15.4% of men are not interested in menopause, saying 'it's something just women need to know about'.
World Menopause Day helps raise awareness globally of menopause and the support options available for improving a woman's health and wellbeing. The findings, however, highlight that menopause isn’t just a challenging time for women. It can also be challenging for men. Nearly a quarter admit to not understanding symptoms enough to know how their partner will be (or was) affected by menopause.
What men consider to be the main symptoms of menopause
- Mood changes
- Night sweats
- Hot flushes
- Sleep problems
- Vaginal dryness
- Weight gain and slowed metabolism
- Personality changes
- Anxiety
- Chills
- Forgetfulness
One in ten men believe menopause typically lasted between nine and 12 months and almost a fifth think menopause is no different from men going through a mid-life crisis.
Menopause is also frequently cited as a reason for marriages breaking down. This is backed up by 42.6% of men who said that menopause is a strain on their relationship. Men are, however, keen to learn more about menopause with 65% saying that more knowledge would help them understand their partner better. Knowledge that will ultimately benefit relationships over the long term.
Content creator, 54-year-old married mum-of-three Therese Ryan knows only too well about the importance of encouraging couples to get talking about menopause. Eighteen months ago she decided to share her menopause journey on social media. Therese now has over 500,000-plus followers across TikTok and Instagram.
She said: “I post regular tongue in cheek menopause related content to help break taboos and encourage people (men and women) to talk more openly about menopause. World Menopause Day is not just about women. It’s about the variety of different challenges we all face. It’s so important to understand what’s happening and know why it’s happening to help men and women navigate their way through the challenges of menopause - together."
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