“When your partner goes through menopause,
different hormonal changes will affect their body,
health, energy levels and mood”.1
Umbrella
What may the Menopause Relationships Umbrella include?
Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:
- Menopause Lovers/Partners/Spouses
- Menopause Relationships
Menopause
How may menopause impact on a woman’s relationships?
In Information for Partners the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH) elaborate on:
While every woman’s experience is different, it’s a good idea to learn about menopause and related symptoms so you can support them through this time”.2
Menopause Symptoms
What are some menopause symptoms?
In Perimenopause – Fact Sheet: Symptoms the JH explain:
- Hot flushes
- Night sweats
- Irregular periods
- Problems with falling asleep, staying asleep and sleep quality
- Breast tenderness
- Itchy/crawly/dry skin
- Exhaustion
- Trouble concentrating
- Vaginal dryness
- Loss of libido (sex drive – talk to your doctor about sexual function if this concerns you)
- Migraines
- More pronounced premenstrual tension
- Mood changes, such as feeling more teary and irritable. Anxiety may also occur
- Weight gain, despite no changes to diet or exercise, due to the metabolism slowing down”.3
Sex
Is there an association between sex and menopause relationships?
In Information for Partners: Sex and Menopause the JH elaborate on:
“It’s common for women to have lower sex drive (libido) during menopause. This could be due to many things, including changing hormone levels, vaginal atrophy, vaginal dryness (which can cause discomfort during sex) and lowered mood and fatigue”.4
In Relationships the JH elaborate on:
“The impact of sexual problems on a relationship can be significant. Painful sex (dyspareunia), problems with libido, physical changes such as menopause can all impact on your sex life and your relationship. Consider having an open discussion with your partner and/or a health professional about how you feel. If you’ve been avoiding sex this can be especially difficult. But if you do find support, it can build intimacy and help you to manage your sexual relationship more honestly. The good news is there are strategies to help you”.5
Menopause or Not
Does menopause cause all sexual problems during this time?
Not necessarily. In Relationships: Relationships & Painful Sex the JH elaborate on:
“For women approaching menopause who are experiencing sexual problems in a relationship, it is helpful to sort out how much is due to the physical symptoms of menopause rather than other sexual issues. It can be difficult to know if menopause influences your relationship with your partner, or if the relationship you have with your partner influences your experience of menopause”.6
Tips for Couples and Partners
What are some tips for couples and partners?
In Navigating Menopause Together: How Partners Can Help — Tips for Couples and Partners the JH elaborate on:
- Learn together…
- Negotiate sex…
- Maintain connection…
- Wait for calm….
- Practise self-care”.7
In Perimenopause – Fact Sheet: Supporting Your Partner Through Perimenopause the JH also elaborate on:
- Reading up about menopause…
- Engaging in non-sexual ‘no strings attached’ physical contact, such as hugs and back rubs…
- Sleeping alone when necessary…
- Listening and asking questions….
- Making comments that show empathy (“that sounds really hard”) and…
- Not making jokes about her symptoms
- Reminding your partner you find her attractive and how much you love and value her”.8
Tips for Partners
What are some tips for partners?
In Information for Partners: Tips To Support Your Partner the JH elaborate on:

For example:
- Listen and be supportive
- Understand that some (not all) mood changes may be due to menopause
- Allow your partner to express their feelings, even if you don’t understand them
- Ask your partner to help you understand their symptoms
- Encourage your partner to talk about what they need and when they need it
- Keep an open mind about why your partner may be acting differently
- Support your partner to make healthy choices, like eating healthy food and reducing alcohol consumption (which can affect menopausal symptoms)
- Be patient when it comes to sex – and find other ways to be intimate
- Go with your partner to medical appointments or counselling (if required)”.9
Health Care Provider
What if I would like help with my relationship?
If you would like help with your relationship, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this. Together you can decide on who may be the best health care provider to help you.
Health Topics A-Z
Where may I find Health Topics related to Menopause Relationships?
In Health Topics A-Z you may find:
Links
Where may I find Links related to Menopause Relationships?
Your Country may have Links similar to:
Links
This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.New or Updated
- BMS TV: Testosterone Explained
- Information for Partners
- Menopause – Information for Partners – Fact Sheet
- Menopause Ruining Your Sex Life?
- Navigating Menopause Together: How Partners Can Help
- Supporting A Loved One Through Menopause
- “We’re Just Tired”: Influences on Sexual Activity Among Male-Partnered Women In Midlife; A Mixed Method Study
- Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
- BMS Statement on Testosterone
- BMS TV: Testosterone Explained
- Contraception and the Menopause
- Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
- Don’t Let the ‘Seven-Year Itch’ Sabotage Your Relationship
- Dr Gail Busby – I Forgot To Ask the Doctor – Episode 9 The Menopause
- Dr. Louise Newson Breaks Down The Menopause & Lisa Snowdon Shares Her Experience | This Morning
- Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
- Find An AMS Doctor [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
- Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
- Headaches, Migraines and the Menopause Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Hot Flashes
- How To Find Relief for Hot Flashes At Night
- Information for Partners
- International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health: Find A Provider
- Is Menopause Making Me Put on Weight? No, But It’s Complicated
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Menopause [+ Video: Menopause]
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Menopause and Your Mental Wellbeing [+ Video: Menopause Only Affects You Physically!]
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Sexual Wellbeing and Intimacy During and After Menopause [+ Video: Menopause Is the End of Your Sex Life]
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Supporting Someone Through the Menopause [+ Video: Men Don’t Need To Know About Menopause]
- Let’s Talk About Perimenopause
- Libido: Managing & Treating Low Libido
- Loss of Libido
- Low Sex Drive In Women
- Many Older Women Have Active Sex Lives, But Menopause Can Interfere
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause Explained
- Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
- Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: What Is Menopause?
- Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 1. What Is Menopause?
- Menopause Ruining Your Sex Life?
Menopause Symptoms: Mayo Clinic Expert Outlines Hormone and Nonhormonal Therapies
- Menopause Treatments: What Works, What Doesn’t
- Menopause What Are the Symptoms?
- Menopause and Depression: Is There A Link?
- Menopause and Mental Health
- Menopause – Fact Sheet
- Menopause – Multilingual Facts Sheet
- Menopause: Menopause and Continence
- Mood and the Menopause
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Erectile Dysfunction/Sexual Enhancement
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Menopausal Symptoms: In Depth
- Navigating Menopause Together: How Partners Can Help
- Navigating Menopause: Expert Insights and Solutions | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 245
- Night Sweats
- Questions To Ask Your GP About Menopause
- Perimenopause
- Perimenopause
- Perimenopause and Menopause Symptom Checklist
- Perimenopause – Fact Sheet
- Postmenopause
- Preparing for Menopause
- Relate.org.uk [Relate The Relationship People]
- Relationships
- Relationships.org.au [Relationships Australia]
- Relationships: Relationships & Libido – Talking With Your Partner
- Relationships: Relationships & Libido – What Can You Do About Desire Discrepancy?
- Relationships: Relationships & Painful Sex
- Sexual Health: Sexual Health for Lesbian and Bisexual Women
- Sexually Transmitted Infections, All You Need To Know – Podcast
- Stages of Menopause
- Supporting A Loved One Through Menopause
- Supporting Women Through Menopause – Fact Sheet
- Symptoms of Menopause
- Testosterone and the Menopause
- The MATE Survey: Men’s Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Menopause and Their Role In Partners’ Menopausal Transition
- The Menopause
- The Menopause Is Affecting Our Relationship, How Do I Talk To My Partner?
- Tips To Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
- Understanding Menopause – Booklet
- Understanding Premature & Early Menopause – Booklet
- Urogenital Atrophy Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Vaginal Dryness
- Vaginal Dryness
- Video: Researchers Emphasize Normalization of Menopause
- Video Series-2022: Discussing Sexual Health Concerns With Your Health Care Professional
- Video Series-2022: Perimenopause, Signs, Symptoms, and Solutions
- Video Series-2023
- Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: How Do I Deal With the Menopause After A Diagnosis of Gynaecological Cancer
- Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: What Women Should Know About Menopause and Brain Fog
- “We’re Just Tired”: Influences on Sexual Activity Among Male-Partnered Women In Midlife; A Mixed Method Study
- Webinars: Previous – Reproductive Conditions and Consequences for Menopausal Health and Management
- What Are the 34 Symptoms of Menopause?
- What Everyone Should Know About Menopause Symptoms
- What Happens If A Woman Takes Viagra?
- What Is Menopause?
- What Is Menopause?
- What Is Menopause?
- What To Do If You Feel Like You’re Walking on Eggshells In Your Relationship
- What To Expect In Each Stage of Menopause
- When Sex Hurts – Podcast [Vaginismus and Vulvodynia]
- Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me This? Episode 3: Dr Annice Mukherjee: Your Essential Menopause Toolkit
- Yes, You Can Have Better Sex In Midlife and In the Years Beyond
Sources
Where may I find the Sources quoted?
You may find the Sources quoted at:
Sources
- Information for Partners. Last Updated: 02 March 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/information-for-partners Accessed: 20 March 2023
- Information for Partners. Last Updated: 02 March 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/information-for-partners Accessed: 20 March 2023
- Perimenopause – Fact Sheet: Supporting Your Partner Through Perimenopause. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/resources/perimenopause-fact-sheet Accessed: 20 March 2023
- Information for Partners: Sex and Menopause. Last Updated: 02 March 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/information-for-partners Accessed: 20 March 2023
- Relationships. Last Updated: 10 January 2020| Last Reviewed: 02 December 2013. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/sex-sexual-health/relationships Accessed: 20 March 2023
- Relationships: Relationships & Painful Sex. Last Updated: 10 January 2020 | Last Reviewed: 02 December 2013. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/sex-sexual-health/relationships Accessed: 20 March 2023
- Navigating Menopause Together: How Partners Can Help — Tips for Couples and Partners. Last Updated: 21 October 2022 | Last Reviewed: 10 October 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/news/navigating-menopause-together-how-partners-can-help Accessed: 20 March 2023
- Perimenopause – Fact Sheet: Supporting Your Partner Through Perimenopause. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/resources/perimenopause-fact-sheet Accessed: 20 March 2023
- Information for Partners: Relationships. Last Updated: 11 November 2022 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/information-for-partners Accessed: 20 March 2023