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Whilst women suffer the menopause, men only admit to a mid- lifecrisis – that’s the conclusion of a new study into maleand female attitudes to middle age.

Although one in three men do experience some signs of themenopause such as aches and sleeplessness, two thirds of all menreject even the idea of a male menopause, according to a studycarried out by Norwich Union Healthcare. Instead, they blame theirsymptoms on a mid-life crisis.

But both men and women feel the menopause is the third biggesttaboo in society, after death and sex.

A staggering seven and a half million women* have experiencedmenopausal symptoms themselves. Yet the majority feel theycan’t turn to their male partner for support.

Two in five women say their partner isn’t sympathetictowards them. In fact, women would even prefer to share theirfeelings with their friends and doctor before opening up to theirpartner.

On the other hand, three in five of the men who have experiencedsymptoms of the mid-life crisis found their female partner to besympathetic.

In response to the need to provide both women and their partnerswith realistic information and advice about the menopause, NorwichUnion Healthcare has produced a guide called ‘Managing theMenopause’.

The free guide is designed to provide practical information andadvice on how best to survive the common physical and lifestylechanges during the menopause. It also gives details of alternativeremedies, diet and exercise and who to contact for advice andguidance.

Dr Doug Wright, of Norwich Union Healthcare, said: “Bothfor woman and men, experiences of the menopause can vary greatly,yet many feel the quality of their lives will be greatlycompromised.

"However for decades it has been proved that life can be asexciting as ever, and continues to be as enjoyable and fulfilling.Our research also highlights the fact that women in particular feelthat their partners and family need to be better informed about themenopause.

"We hope this guide is a good resource for women - along withthe support of their GP and other support groups - when discussingtheir experiences with others."

The ‘Managing the Menopause’ survey alsoreveals:

• Goldie Hawn is most admired by men as a woman who has dealtwell with the years during which most women experience themenopause
• Three in five men say their partner’s mood swings werethe hardest thing to cope with during the change
• Two in five women and one in three men think women should begiven extra time off work during the menopause

To request a free copy of Norwich Union Healthcare’s‘Managing the Menopause’ guide call Freefone 0800 200203.

*Source: Office for National Statistics and General RegisterOffice for Scotland

For further media information, contact Anja Kueppers or MatthewBuchanan at QBO on 020 7379 0304 or Louise Zucchi at Norwich UnionPress Office on 08703 66 68 60

Notes to editors:

• Norwich Union Healthcare commissioned Brand and Issues toconduct an independent survey of 250 men and 250 women between theages of 45-70. The survey was carried out in May 2001.
• Norwich Union Healthcare was founded in 1990 as the healthcarearm of Norwich Union and now provides a range of income protectionand private medical insurance products to around 675,000customers. It is one of the largest providers of income protectionand private medical insurance in the UK.
• Norwich Union’s news releases are available on thisintenet site
• A selection of images are available from the CGNU Newscastsite at www.newscast.co.uk

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