One in ten menopausal women ‘quit their jobs due to symptoms’
ONE in ten menopausal women have quit their jobs due to symptoms, a TV documentary found.
Hundreds of thousands also slashed working hours and avoided promotions.
Davina McCall, who presents a follow-up C4 show Sex, Mind and the Menopause, said: “I couldn’t believe the reaction after the last documentary went out.
"It was like a tsunami, an outpouring.
"I couldn’t believe so many women were suffering needlessly.”
A survey found around 333,000 menopausal women left jobs — one in ten.
Some 14 per cent, nearly half a million, cut their hours while eight per cent did not go for promotion.
Read more on menopause
Most said they got no formal help or guidance at work.
The Sun is campaigning for free hormone replacement therapy for everyone — and the documentary reveals it may lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and other diseases.
The show, on tonight at 9pm, follows 2021’s Sex, Myths and the Menopause.
Most read in Health
What is the menopause and what age does it usually start?
Menopause is a natural part of ageing, which usually happens when a woman is between the age of 45 and 55.
In the UK, the average age for a woman to go through menopause is 51.
It occurs when oestrogen levels in the body start to decline.
During this time periods become less frequent or they can suddenly stop, and after menopause occurs women will be unable to become pregnant naturally.
Around one in 100 women experience menopause before the age of 40, and this is known as premature ovarian insufficiency or premature menopause.
Many celebrities have spoken out about their own experiences, including Lisa Snowdon, Davina McCall, Michelle Heaton and Zoe Hardman.
What are the symptoms?
Menopausal symptoms can start months or years before your periods stop, and can last until four years or longer after your last period.
Symptoms include:
- Hot flushes
- Changing or irregular periods
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Anxiety and loss of confidence
- Low mood, irritability and depression
- Night sweats
- Vaginal dryness or discomfort during sex
- Reduced libido (sex drive)
- Problems with concentration or memory
- Weight gain
- Bladder control