British women ‘most comfortable’ talking about menopause

Chatting to friends and family about the menopause comes more naturally to women in Britain than the rest of the world, international research has found.

Nearly eight of 10 (78%) British and Irish women are happy to talk about their menopause, compared to the average of 64% across the 33 countries surveyed.

Gaps in menopause information

The study of more than 23,000 adults examined how much of a taboo talking about your menopause is.

But there were gaps in women’s information, with more than a quarter (28%) of British women saying they do not feel knowledgeable about the menopause. Only 18% of women in Britain said they were ‘very’ knowledgeable.

This put women in Britain in 10^th place in terms of how informed they feel about the menopause, well behind women in top-placed India, where 87% feel they know about the menopause.

Women in Hungary felt the least comfortable talking about their menopause, with only 28% happy to chat about the changes and symptoms they were experiencing.

Balance resources now available in a range of languages

The Ipsos survey uncovers big differences between countries in how informed and how relaxed women feel about sharing their menopause experience.

There’s a wealth of information to be found on the balance app and website. And did you know that to mark World Menopause Day last month, some of our most popular were translated into Hindi, French and Spanish, to boost accessibility internationally? Find out more here.

Plus, you can also download free balance posters in Italian, German, Polish, Portuguese, Dutch and Danish.

Men particularly felt they didn’t know enough about the menopause, with 54% in Britain describing themselves as not knowledgeable. balance resources for partners

The survey found that women globally were happier to talk about their age, physical health, ethnicity, religion and mental health than they were their menopause. Discussing politics, cancer and their finances were all less popular subjects for discussion.

Demystifying menopause through education

Dr Louise Newson, GP, Menopause Specialist and founder of the balance app, said: ‘It’s really encouraging to see women in Britain and Ireland feel comfortable talking to friends and family about the menopause; conversations are crucial in demystifying a life event that millions of women go through every year.

‘At balance we are committed to people worldwide being involved in the menopause conversation, and that’s why we have translated some of most-read resources into a range of languages.’

‘Talking is of course a step in the right direction, but it is essential women are also given access to evidence-based treatment too.’

Caroline Walker from Ipsos said:

‘These findings show that whilst Britain leads the world on feeling comfortable about discussing menopause, knowledge is still lacking and it is a taboo topic for many.‘

‘This is a topic where there needs to be more education and openness, helping to readdress the balance our society has towards younger people.’