Quarter of men don't know what the menopause is.

This is equivalent to 7 million men in the UK.

May 2023, by Megan Anderson.

More than a quarter of men in the UK don’t know what the menopause is, and only half believe they know someone who has experienced it, according to new research.

The data from not-for-profit healthcare provider, Benenden Health, reveals a lack of awareness about the menopause across the male population, with as many as seven million men across the nation not knowing what it is.

Nearly a quarter (24%) incorrectly identified information about the menopause, including thinking that it only affects women in their 50s (10%), that individuals are officially old age when they've gone through the menopause (8%) and that women can't have sex anymore once they have experienced the menopause (6%). A further 10% said there were no symptoms and almost a fifth admitted that they didn’t (18%), or wouldn’t (19%), support someone going through the menopause.

Cheryl Lythgoe, Matron at Benenden Health, added: “It is estimated that there are around 13 million women who are currently peri or menopausal in the UK today. And with symptoms that impact both their mental and physical health, symptoms can last multiple years and have considerable impact on a woman personally, professionally, and socially.

“It’s therefore really important that we are able to open up the conversation to improve experiences and outcomes for individuals, families, friendship groups and workplaces all across the UK – and the great news about our research is that men are very willing to offer support, so let’s embrace this and move forward together to improve lives across the nation.”

Benenden Health has developed its own dedicated menopause hub and is rolling out support for its own team internally. The call comes as part of the mutual’s ‘Time for a check in’ campaign, launched last year in partnership with Channel 4.