This is what would happen if men went through the menopause

If a 43-year-old perimenopausal man felt soreness, dryness and his libido dropped, he’d be able to walk into a chemist and pick up his HRT gel – along with his Viagra – and get back to living his life within minutes, writes Kate Tiernan

Davina McCall has been accused of ‘sensationalising’ the experience of menopause (This Morning/ITV)

How can it be that in 2024 we are looking to blame women for informing others about – and removing the shame from – the difficult and life-changing symptoms of menopause? But that’s exactly what we’re doing: for experts have now claimed that menopause is not a disease and is being “over-medicalised”.

”Most women navigate menopause without the need for medical treatments,” the experts said (I’d love to know how many of them were women). To which I would ask: well, how many women are actually offered treatment in the first place?

In the Lancet paper, which is the first in a series on the menopause, they also argued there is a lack of data on whether health problems are caused by menopause or simply by ageing. And to add insult to injury, the same panel of experts has blamed celebrities like Davina McCall for “sensationalising” the experience of menopause by sharing “horror stories” about the symptoms – and scaring women unnecessarily.