Five things young women need to know about the menopause

(Megan Arnot/ The Conversation) — If you’re under 40, the menopause might seem like the least of your worries right now. But for some women, this transition can happen earlier than they might expect – even as early as their 30s, in rare cases. And you almost certainly know a family member, friend or colleague who’s going through menopause, or is likely to soon. After all, it affects around half the world’s population at some point.

But many women feel unprepared for what lies ahead. One survey found almost half of women feel completely uninformed about the menopause, and nearly 95% saying they were never taught about the menopause in school.

This means many women don’t have the knowledge they need to navigate this life transition or understand what’s happening to the people they know who are going through it. This is despite the fact it can last for many years, and can have a profound effect on almost every aspect of a woman’s life.

Here are five essential things to know about menopause that you probably weren’t taught in school. (…)