Menopause can still take women by surprise — not only because of when it happens, but because of the range of changes they may experience.
Alexander Clementine founder Alex Perry sat down with menopause fitness expert and author Kate Rowe-Ham to talk about some of the misconceptions surrounding menopause, why education matters, symptoms women may not expect, the importance of involving men in the conversation, and the advice she would give to women navigating this stage of life.
Here are some of the key points from their conversation.
What is one of the biggest misconceptions about menopause?
One of the misconceptions Kate discusses is the assumption that menopause is something that happens much later in life.
Her answer quickly leads into a broader problem: women can reach this stage without having been given enough information to understand what is happening to them.
That is why, for Kate, education is so important.
Why is menopause education so important?
Education is one of the strongest themes in the conversation.
Kate talks about women not necessarily having the information they need before they begin experiencing changes themselves.
As she puts it:
“I think education is the biggest piece of it.”
Rather than women discovering menopause only once they are experiencing it, Kate's emphasis is on giving women more knowledge and understanding beforehand.
That information can make it easier to recognise that changes may be connected rather than experiencing them without context.
What is one of the more unexpected menopause symptoms?
When Alex asks Kate about one of the more unusual symptoms she has encountered, her answer is strikingly simple:
“Tinnitus.”
It is precisely the kind of symptom that someone may not immediately associate with menopause.
Kate's example reinforces the wider point running through the interview: the experience can extend beyond the symptoms people traditionally expect, which makes awareness particularly important.
What would be your message to men during menopause?
The conversation also turns to the role of men.
Kate's point is that men need greater understanding of what women may be experiencing during this period of their lives.
Partners, family members, colleagues and friends can all be around women navigating these changes, which makes menopause something that benefits from a wider conversation rather than knowledge being confined only to women experiencing it.
For Alex, this was an especially important question to ask: if menopause affects relationships, families and workplaces, understanding cannot sit entirely with women.
What is your biggest piece of advice for someone going through menopause?
Perhaps the clearest advice in the interview comes towards the end.
Kate encourages women to trust when they recognise that something does not feel right and to continue seeking answers rather than allowing their experience to be dismissed.
Her words are:
“If it doesn't feel right, keep pushing and keep pressing to get the answers.”
It is a simple message, but an important one.
Changes can be easy to rationalise, ignore or put down to something else. Kate's advice is to pay attention to what you are experiencing and continue asking questions when you know something has changed.
Why conversations like this matter
There is a consistent thread through Kate's answers: education and understanding matter.
Women benefit from knowing more about menopause before they reach it. Unexpected symptoms can be easier to recognise when people know that they exist. Men can be better equipped to understand the women around them. And women themselves should feel able to keep asking questions when something doesn't feel right.
As Kate says:
“I think education is the biggest piece of it.”
That feels like an appropriate place to leave the conversation.
The more menopause is discussed openly — before, during and beyond the transition — the less likely women are to encounter it without the information they need.
About Kate Rowe-Ham
Kate Rowe-Ham is a menopause fitness expert, personal trainer, author and founder of Owning Your Menopause. Her work focuses on helping women navigate exercise, strength and wellbeing through menopause and midlife.
This conversation forms part of Alexander Clementine's Expert Conversations, speaking directly with people working across menopause and women's health about the questions women are asking.
