New research shows young women lack basic understanding of menopause

A new survey highlights a lack of education around menopause among younger women

• Nearly a fifth of young women don’t know how menopause might affect their bodies
• Two-thirds of young women in their late teens and early 20s feel they don’t have a good understanding of menopause, compared to 73% of women in their late 20s and early 30s
• One in 100 UK women experiences menopause before 40 years of age¹ and perimenopause lasts on average four years and 11 months for British women, longer than reported for any other country²
• Over one in five 25-34-year-olds do not know how to help other women going through menopause

Searches for ‘preparing for perimenopause and menopause’³ have rocketed by +3,900% over the past 12 months. It’s clear women want to understand their bodies better, and prepare themselves for this stage in their lives.

But how much do British women know about menopause? Experts at Stella, a wellness app for menopause support, polled British women between the ages of 18 and 34* to see how much they really know.

Nearly a fifth of women do not know about menopause or how it affects their body

Survey results found that over half (54%) of young women said they knew only a little about menopause, while nearly one-fifth (18%) claimed they did not have any awareness at all about menopause and how it affects their bodies.

Some 19% of women in their late 20s and early 30s said they didn’t think they knew enough about menopause and its symptoms, or how it may affect them in their later life. The average age of menopause is 51⁴. 

Nearly three-quarters of British young women didn’t know that painful sex is a menopause symptom

There are over 30 recognised menopause symptoms, including hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness,  painful sex, difficulty sleeping, low mood and feeling anxious, reduced sex drive, and problems with memory and concentration.

Some of these are more well known than others. When given a list of common menopause symptoms, the top symptoms the women surveyed recognised included:

1. Hot flushes 68%
2. Night sweats 61%
3. Weight gain 52%
4. Mood swings 51%
5. Fatigue 50%

In comparison, the common menopause symptoms the women surveyed couldn’t recognise, were:

1. Acne 21%
2. Painful sex 24%
3. Aches and joint pain 24%
4. Headaches 24%
5. Heart palpitations 25%

When asked to identify common symptoms of menopause, the women aged 18-24 could recognise more than the 25–34-year-olds – showing they were better informed.

There is a need for greater education about menopause

Menopause can be a difficult topic to approach and is rarely spoken about in schools, Women across the UK would like to understand their bodies more, and what happens during the stages of perimenopause and menopause.

Sara, 29 from Sheffield, says: “I wish we could get a better understanding of women’s health, especially menopause. Most women will go through it, and it doesn’t only affect their bodies, but it can also affect their jobs and their families as well.”

Erica, 34 from Glasgow says: “Menopause shouldn’t be an embarrassing topic to talk about.  It’s something most women have to go through, and everyone should have the opportunity to be educated about it.”

Commenting further, Andrea Berchowitz, Stella CEO and Co-founder, says: “It’s important to know how much British women understand about this stage of their life. We were surprised to see that the younger generation appeared to have more knowledge about perimenopause and menopause compared to that of the older age group.”

To read more about menopause, please visit Stella’s blog here.