As a bloke I had no clue about the menopause until I tried a hot flushes vest, says Adrian Chiles
WE asked TV presenter Adrian Chiles to try on the MenoVest, which mimics menopausal hot flushes.
Here’s how he got on…
LIKE most blokes, I know a great deal less about the menopause than I should.
Physiologically, I haven’t got a clue what’s going on.
This is pretty disgraceful.
In my 55 years I really should have made the effort.
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My Mum, after all, is a woman, as is my wife, as are my daughters, as are roughly half the people I know, love and work with.
As well as knowing next to nothing about the causes of the menopause, neither can I say with a straight face that I much appreciate the effects, the symptoms.
As with many men I hide behind the oh-I-daren’t-open-my-mouth mantra we repeat when asked why we don’t discuss the menopause or pre-menstrual tension with our partners.
In fact, let’s examine the extent of the knowledge of this moderately intelligent writer and broadcaster who considers himself to be a kind and caring chap.
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It won’t take long because I now realise I essentially knew only two things: 1) It makes women feel a bit hot. 2) It makes women a bit, erm, cranky.
I think it’s safe to say that if I ever get to go on Mastermind, the menopause won’t be my specialist subject.
My knowledge – if that’s not too strong a word – of hot flushes was gleaned from observing my Mum when I was a teenager.
Every now and then she’d whip her jumper off, run outside, and stand in the garden for a bit. I wondered what that was all about.
For all these reasons, when The Sun asked me to try a MenoVest on for size I was only too happy to oblige.
At first it felt okay as I strolled around my local park drawing some puzzled glances.
There was an autumnal nip in the air and I was somewhat glad of the warmth.
But then it cooled down and I felt a bit chilly again. Before long I was either too hot or too cold.
What a monumental pain it must be to have this going on all day.
Coat on, coat off, jumper needed, jumper not needed.
I went to get a coffee, although, flushing hot and cold I wasn’t sure whether I wanted a hot or cold drink. I got both.
I’d had it on for nearly an hour now, and that was quite enough. And yes, I was getting a bit, erm, cranky.
I tried to cheer myself up by sending my sister-in-law, who’s a doctor specialising in the menopause, a photo of myself in the vest.
I was looking for praise and approval from her, but all I got back was, “Yes, very good.
“But wear it all night if you really want the full menopause experience.”
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Point taken. I handed the MenoVest back.
As Liz Truss kept saying, I get it and I have listened.