‘Taboo’ or not ‘Taboo’

“Taboo or not taboo – that is the question”

Apologies to Shakespeare who would have known very little about the menopause, because the average life expectancy of an adult Elizabethan was around 35 years and very often women died soon after this having had a succession children in their teens and twenties. They certainly wouldn’t have had to deal with menopausal symptoms lasting five years or more and with many extended years of post-menopausal health issues that are common in the 21^st Century!

There has been a great deal of press coverage about Menopause being a taboo subject and one that needs to be talked about. We wholeheartedly concur!

Following World Menopause Day on October 18^th we have been considering whether the taboo on the subject of Menopause has been lifted, or if there is still more to be done to help women through this difficult period of their lives. It is encouraging that celebrities such as Angelina Jolie and Pasty Kensit are coming forward with their stories. Going a step further, TV presenter Lorraine Kelly has recently opened up about her experiences of the menopause and spoke about it on ITVs This Morning as well as launching a new campaign ‘The M Word’. The driving force of the campaign is the result of a surprising survey which revealed that 45% of women felt they couldn’t even talk to their friends about the menopause.