Menopause must not be a taboo in modern Scotland – leader comment

Know Your Menopause Elizabeth Carr-Ellis Pausitivity MENOPAUSE: Scot Govt has given its support to a new campaign raising the awareness of the symptoms of the menopause. Poster campaign for GP surgeries has been launched by former Scotsman sub editor Liz Ellis

Anyone who encounters former Scotsman journalist Elizabeth Carr-Ellis will quickly realise she is blessed with adept communication skills, common sense and an abundance of drive.

So it is no surprise that when she discovered the lack of information about the effects of the menopause at her local GP surgery, Carr-Ellis – creator of the award-winning #50Sense blog “for women not afraid of growing older” – decided to do something about it. The resulting Pausitivity campaign has now won backing from the Scottish Government.

As she pointed out, the menopause affects every woman but few people know anything about its symptoms apart from hot flushes. A new poster lists the main potential effects, including tiredness, joint pain, vaginal dryness, heart palpitations, mood swings, anxiety and depression, forgetfulness and loss of libido.

No one, particularly employers and politicians, should close their eyes to this or regard the subject as ‘taboo’.

The menopause is a natural part of the ageing process and society as a whole must treat it as such.