Third of women feel ‘freer than ever’ after menopause

Less than half of women report any positives to menopause

Saman Javed
Saturday 22 October 2022 16:51 BST
Comments
'I felt very lonely': Davina McCall and Lorraine discuss hardships of menopause

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Women have shed light on some of the “positive” aspects of going through menopause.

A survey of 1,000 UK women found that while the transitional time is seen as challenging for most, 34 per cent never felt “freer” than when it was over.

The study, carried out by OnePoll for Vitabiotics, found that less than half of women (46 per cent) felt there were some positives to the menopause.

The most celebrated positives of going through menopause was no longer having to go through periods, or pay for sanitary products.

Others rejoiced at no longer having to worry about unwanted pregnancy or having to take contraception.

Around a quarter (23 percent) said they feel more “comfortable” with themselves now than at any other time in their life, while 18 per cent said they are at their most confident.

Common symptoms of menopause include fatigue, difficulty sleeping, brain fog, hot flushes, and irregular and heavy bleeding.

Of those surveyed, 73 per cent said they feel menopause is often spoken about with such doom and gloom, that any positives are overlooked.

“The menopause might be different for everyone, but it is something that every woman will go through,” Vitabiotics ambassador and TV broadcaster Gabby Logan commented.

“We believe it is something which should be spoken about openly – the good and the bad – so that all women feel prepared and as positive as they can when the time comes, they can embrace the changes.”

The findings come as Naomi Watts said this week that she believes women are their “most authentic” selves after going through menopause.

The actor opened up about going through menopause in a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar, telling the magazine that while it was a lonely time, “once you’re on the other side... you get to reclaim yourself”.

“When you get yourself back, you are actually the most authentic version of yourself because you’re not a victim to your hormones anymore,” Watts said.

“I find, actually, post-menopause, things have been pretty good.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in