5 Minute Read
Author: Megan Hayward, The Menopause Concierge®
What everyone should know about menopause, at home, at work and in life.
Because understanding menopause is not just about knowing the symptoms. It is about challenging outdated assumptions, recognising what is happening in the body, and knowing how to support ourselves and others.
1. MYTH: “Menopause is just hot flushes.”
FACT: Menopause is a whole-body transition, not simply a change in temperature.
Fluctuating and declining hormones can affect the brain, sleep, mood, joints, muscles, bladder, sexual health and more. Symptoms may include brain fog, anxiety, migraines, heart palpitations, joint pain, sleep disturbances and vaginal or urinary changes.
Some people never experience a hot flush.
It is really important to highlight most women will successfully manage this stage of life with early treatment and the right supports.
WHY IT MATTERS: When we only recognise hot flushes, other symptoms may be overlooked, dismissed or attributed to stress, ageing or unrelated conditions.
2. MYTH: “Menopause happens at 50, practically overnight.”
FACT: Menopause is a transition, not a single overnight event.
Perimenopause is the hormonal transition leading up to menopause, and for many women this is actually the most symptomatic and disruptive stage. It begins years before the final menstrual period, sometimes in the 30s or early 40s.
Menopause itself is one point in time, clinically recognised after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. The average age of menopause is approximately 51.
Early menopause occurs before 45, and premature menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency occurs before 40
And post-menopause is everything that follows. And I always say: you want to arrive at post-menopause in the best health possible because, if you’re lucky, you still have an enormous amount of life ahead of you.
Your perimenopause or menopause can start early for a range of reasons, including genetics and cultural heritage, Treatment-induced menopause where cancer treatments cause menopause to occur earlier, surgically through hysterectomy or oophorectomy. It could also be sexual trauma, neurodiversity a traumatic life event, or early childhood adversity, and these experiences can cause perimenopause to occur up to 10 years earlier.
WHY IT MATTERS: Recognising changes earlier can help women access appropriate assessment, treatment and support rather than spending years searching for answers.
3. MYTH: “Everyone experiences menopause the same way.”
FACT: There is no one-size-fits-all menopause experience.
Some women experience few symptoms, others experience mild or moderate changes, and some experience severe symptoms that significantly affect their daily lives.
Menopause symptoms are wide ranging and different for each person.
What we know is that during menopause:
20% of women will have no symptoms, or very few symptoms.
60% of women will be impacted by symptoms in a mild to moderate way.
20% of women will be impacted in a moderate to severe way.
WHY IT MATTERS: We cannot judge another person’s experience against our own or assume that symptoms are either inevitable or insignificant.
4. MYTH: “It’s just stress, ageing or all in her head.”
FACT: Hormonal fluctuations can have genuine physical, cognitive and psychological effects.
Perimenopause may be associated with changes in mood, anxiety, depressive symptoms, concentration and sleep. These experiences deserve to be taken seriously.
However, not every symptom in midlife is caused by menopause. Thyroid disorders, iron deficiency, mental health conditions and other medical issues may produce similar symptoms.
WHY IT MATTERS: Dismissing symptoms as emotional instability or normal ageing can delay diagnosis, appropriate treatment and meaningful support.
5. MYTH: “Hormone therapy is dangerous and should be avoided.”
FACT: Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), also called HRT, is an effective, evidence-based treatment for many menopause symptoms.
You need to consider treatments to support you from a biological point of view and this may include, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)/Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT), Contraception, Off Label medicines & Natural Medicine (Naturopath/ Chinese Medicine).
The gold standard drug treatment for menopause is MHT/HRT, which should be body identical.
For many healthy women who begin treatment before age 60 or within 10 years of menopause, the benefits generally outweigh the risks.
However, MHT is not suitable for everyone. Its benefits and risks depend on medical history, age, timing, formulation and route of administration.
WHY IT MATTERS: Outdated fears and misinformation can prevent women from making informed treatment decisions that may significantly improve their quality of life.
6. MYTH: “You just have to put up with it.”
FACT: Menopause is natural. Suffering without support should not be considered inevitable.
There are numerous ways to manage symptoms, including MHT, appropriate non-hormonal medicines, working with complementary medicine through a naturopath, menopause-specific cognitive behavioural therapy, vaginal oestrogen, testosterone, and individualised lifestyle strategies.
Movement, strength training, nutrition, sleep and stress management can also support long-term health and wellbeing.
WHY IT MATTERS: Women deserve informed choices, not a message that they must simply endure symptoms or manage everything through willpower.
7. MYTH: “Menopause means weight gain, ageing and the end of your sex life.”
FACT: Menopause can bring changes in body composition, fat distribution, muscle mass, libido and vaginal health, but these changes do not define a woman’s future.
Ageing and lifestyle factors contribute to midlife weight changes, while hormonal changes can influence where body fat is stored.
Sexual wellbeing may change, but fulfilling relationships and intimacy remain possible. Symptoms such as vaginal dryness, painful intercourse or reduced desire can often be managed.
WHY IT MATTERS: Menopause should never be framed as the end of attractiveness, sexuality, strength or vitality. Women can and do very much continue to lead healthy, active and fulfilling lives.
8. MYTH: “Menopause is a private women’s issue. It doesn’t affect anyone else.”
FACT: Menopause happens in an individual’s body, but its effects can extend into relationships, families, friendships and workplaces.
Disrupted sleep, fatigue, anxiety, changes in intimacy and other symptoms may affect daily routines and interactions.
Partners, friends, family members and colleagues do not need to experience menopause themselves to offer understanding and practical support.
WHY IT MATTERS: Supportive conversations reduce stigma, strengthen relationships and help people feel understood rather than isolated.
9. MYTH: “Menopause makes women less capable at work.”
FACT: Menopause does not automatically reduce a woman’s skills, judgement, leadership ability or professional value.
Some women experience symptoms that affect concentration, sleep, comfort or work participation, while others experience little or no work-related impact.
Appropriate workplace support, such as temperature control, flexible arrangements, access to facilities and supportive management, can help employees remain well and productive.
WHY IT MATTERS: Stereotyping midlife women as less capable can contribute to ageism, discrimination and the loss of highly experienced employees.
10. MYTH: “Menopause isn’t a workplace health, safety or leadership responsibility.”
FACT: Employers have responsibilities to provide safe workplaces and prevent unlawful discrimination.
Menopause is not automatically a disability or a separate protected attribute under Australian federal discrimination law. However, particular circumstances may engage protections relating to sex, age or disability.
Existing work health and safety obligations also require employers to manage relevant physical and psychosocial risks.
Supporting employees does not necessarily require expensive programmes. It can begin with education, respectful conversations, appropriate facilities, flexible arrangements and individualised adjustments.
WHY IT MATTERS: Inclusive, biology-informed workplaces can support wellbeing, retain valuable experience and create environments where employees have the opportunity to perform at their best.
Bringing it all together: Movement. Mindset. Modify. ®
Understanding menopause is only the beginning. What matters is what we do with that knowledge.
MOVEMENT. Support your changing body through movement, strength, mobility and activities that promote physical and mental wellbeing.
MINDSET. Challenge outdated beliefs, recognise that symptoms are information rather than personal failure, and approach others with curiosity rather than judgement.
MODIFY. Small, practical changes at home, at work and in daily life can make a meaningful difference. Ask: What would make this 10% easier?
The takeaway: Menopause is not a weakness, a professional expiry date or something women should have to navigate alone. With better information, appropriate healthcare and supportive environments, we can change the experience.
Menopause awareness benefits everyone. And changing the conversation is something everyone can contribute to.
Bonus Myths
11. MYTH: “You need a hormone blood test to diagnose perimenopause.”
FACT: Not usually. For women aged 45 and over, diagnosis is generally based on symptoms, menstrual history and clinical assessment. Tests may be appropriate for younger women or to investigate other possible conditions.
12. MYTH: “You can’t get pregnant during perimenopause.”
FACT: Pregnancy remains possible while ovulation occurs, even when periods are irregular. MHT is not contraception, and women should discuss appropriate contraception with their healthcare professional.
