More than half of Irish women experiencing menopause or perimenopause describe it as a negative experience, according to research from the Department of Health.
A survey of 1,290 adults, conducted by B&A polling in November, found almost one in three women (31 per cent) aged 35 years or older said they were currently going through perimenopause or menopause.
Some 55 per cent of women going through the process described it as a negative experience, with 22 per cent describing it as a positive experience.
The average woman in menopause said they have constant symptoms, the research found, with the average woman experiencing up to seven symptoms at any given time.
Women reported that their most intense menopause symptoms were temperature changes (76 per cent), changes in periods (73 per cent), tiredness (72 per cent), sleep issues (68 per cent), changes in body shape (58 per cent), cognitive issues (56 per cent), mood changes (54 per cent) and joint pain (53 per cent).
The survey found that only one in five (23 per cent) of women in menopause said they would be happy to talk about it to their manager at work, while the majority of people (93 per cent) agree that menopause can have a big impact on a woman’s everyday life.
The research found that if a woman experiences a symptom frequently, she is very likely to say it has a severe impact on her quality of life.
According to the Health Service Executive (HSE)’s description of menopause, it is a natural part of ageing and occurs when a woman stops having periods completely.
Menopause usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age in Ireland for a woman to reach menopause is 51. A woman reaches menopause when she has not had a period for 12 months, the HSE said.
Earlier this year, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly launched a national campaign to encourage people to talk about menopause and to raise awareness about the symptoms.
In October, the Financial Services Union (FSU) called on employers to introduce workplace policies on menopause amid concerns that women are not being supported as they experience symptoms at work and that some may leave their jobs as a result.
Bank of Ireland announced that it would introduce up to 10 days of paid menopause leave for women suffering with symptoms.
