For far too long, women navigating menopause have been told to just “get on with it.” Got manageable hot flushes? Occasional brain fog? A sudden nosedive in libido? Soldier on, ladies – apparently, it’s just part of life and you can deal with it.
But let’s call this attitude what it is: patronising, outdated, and downright damaging. Even “mild” symptoms can shake the foundations of a woman’s life, and it’s time we start treating them with the respect they deserve.
Here’s just a few of them that get the most air time.
Mild symptoms, major consequences?
Take what’s often brushed off as “sexual dysfunction.” A little vaginal dryness, some discomfort during intimacy. No big deal, right? Wrong. These so-called minor issues can have seismic consequences for a woman’s relationships and self-esteem. Picture this: a woman in her 40s or 50s, juggling a demanding career and family, now finds intimacy painful or unenjoyable. Without proper support, a “mild” problem snowballs into feelings of disconnection, resentment, or even the breakdown of a long-term relationship or marriage.
Meanwhile, men facing sexual dysfunction are fast-tracked to solutions—from Viagra to testosterone therapy—with society cheering them on. And now a recent study has even suggested that all men over 50 should take ED meds to prevent heart conditions! Oh, please. Where’s that energy when it comes to women’s health? We’re over the double standard.
Brain fog: more than just forgetting to buy the milk.
Let’s talk about brain fog. Forgetting names, losing track of tasks, or struggling to focus isn’t justa little hiccup; it can be a full-blown identity crisis for women who’ve spent decades building their professional credibility. Imagine a CEO suddenly feeling like an imposter in the boardroom, or a doctor or nurse suddenly feeling less confident in their decades of learning. Those small cracks in confidence? They can lead to missed promotions, early retirement, or stepping out of theworkforce entirely.
From our research with Digital Health CRC we know that women can even think they are developing early onset dementia – a terrifying thought. Here’s what a few of them said:
“Yes. It affected me – thought I was losing my mind and ability to perform”.
“The extreme fatigue and forgetfulness lowered my patience for challenging work situations.
“Forgetfulness can make it difficult to communicate at times and/or make you seem inarticulate or incompetent.”
And what does that ripple effect look like? Maybe reduced financial independence, higher vulnerability if a relationship ends, and yet another smart, capable woman sidelined by a system that dismisses her struggles. Tell me again how this sounds “mild”?
Sleep issues that steal joy
Do you get the feeling that only since the “biohackers” and longevity blokes like Bryan Johnson, Andrew Huberman and Peter Attia have stepped up the narrative on sleep in relation to peak performance that it’s finally being seen as the centre piece to health? It’s a tad frustrating that it’s taken a bunch of men to talk about how it impacts everyday basics (but I suppose we should be grateful). One bad night? Sure, we can handle it. But chronic sleep disturbances? That’s a joy thief and creates so many knock-on effects that dominos would be jealous. Sleep deprivation wreaks havoc on your cognitive function, mood, and ability to manage daily stress. Parenting becomes harder. Relationships take a hit. And forget thriving at work; you’re barely surviving.
Let me get personal for a second. Rushing into the end of 2024 with school commitments, Christmas parties and everything else that condenses into December, most evenings my Garmin body battery was ringing alarm bells at a catastrophic 5! Jokingly I would say, “So what happens when it hits zero – am I dead?”
After turning to my co-founder Dr Nic and asking for help, the only thing she could prescribe was sleep and no alcohol – talk about a depressing end to the year, just when you want to let your hair down and socialise, you’re banished to the naughty corner!
The 80/20 lie
Pareto has a lot to answer for – when it comes to menopause anyway, referencing the 80/20 rule can be fraught. Yes, it may appear that 80 per cent of women only experience “mild” symptoms but without a truly holistic view of what’s happening across all aspects of their life, who’s in a position to say that dealing with multiple minor inconveniences doesn’t turn you into the 20 per cent? It’s a lazy oversimplification and needs to go. Those “mild” symptoms often create a perfect storm and worse still, they change over time. A woman feeling disconnected from her partner, struggling at work, and running on empty isn’t “fine” – she’s in crisis.
The knock-on effects can be profound: strained relationships, mental health challenges, and a quality of life that’s slowly eroded. Yet, society’s response is the same old refrain: “This too shall pass.”
So, do you know your symptom load?
Having been in digital health for more than two decades, I have my fair share of opinions on health data tracking. I’ve seen many iterations, but not many done well. Measuring in isolation is never going to give you any truly actionable insights. That’s why my mission for the last few years has been about making sure we have the perfect trinity at Metluma—awareness, understanding and action—all centered around your personalised UMAScore™. All stages are important, but I truly believe that ‘understanding’ is where the moment of power is for so many women.
By tracking and understanding how symptoms interact over time, it empowers women to advocate for the care they deserve.
Menopause isn’t a punchline. It’s not a phase to just get through. The “mild” symptoms are never just mild when they’re disrupting your work, your relationships, and your sense of self. And when they fluctuate all the time over a period which may last 10 years, it’s time to demand better for women everywhere. No more putting up. No more shutting up. Let’s start speaking out and stepping up to deliver real solutions for every woman, at every stage of menopause.