Why the menopause is a menace for your marriage

HOT flushes, mood swings and reduced libido are all well-known symptoms of the menopause.

But now there’s another sign to look out for – as ‘the change’ could be spelling trouble for your love life.

Seven out of ten women going through ‘marital difficulties’ blamed the menopause for putting a strain on their relationship, a survey found.

Some women – all of whom were getting divorced or separated – said that they had argued with their partner more since going through the change. And some even suggested that they’d experienced more domestic abuse.

While respondents did not go into the reasons behind such incidents, the majority said that getting support or treatment such as HRT could have saved their marriages.

More than 1,000 women took part in the survey by the Family Law Menopause Project and the Newson Health Research and Education organisation.

Commenting on the findings, menopause specialist Dr Louise Newson said: ‘ Whilst the physical symptoms of the [change] are well-known and often discussed, the mental health impact is often ignored and can be catastrophic for many women, having a deeply negative effect on their work, relationships and finances as a result.’

Farhana Shahzady, founder of the Family Law Menopause Project, added that the findings were ‘of deep concern’ due to the possible impact on women’s finances.

She added: ‘Women may face real financial hardship as they approach retirement postdivorce or separation. [This will] make it harder for them to save for retirement and reduce their ability to save into pensions.’ A third of women in the UK – around 13 million – are estimated to be menopausal.

In recent months, many have struggled to get hold of HRT to help with symptoms due to supply chain issues. The Mail, which has campaigned to fix the crisis, won a major victory in May when pharmacists were allowed to prescribe alternatives.