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AN ESTIMATED 260,000 women in Ireland are currently experiencing the menopause. About two-thirds of these women are having regular symptoms including hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings and forgetfulness. Although a completely normal stage in every woman’s life, the menopause is still rarely talked about in public, and even in private it is usually whispered about in moments stolen from other conversations.

The study found that although only one in four adults considered themselves to be well informed about the menopause, most people knew that hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, irritability and depression were all associated with the menopause. The difficulty is working out whether the symptoms – particularly the psychological ones – can be attributed to the menopause or not.