Study to look at impact of menopause symptoms on autistic people

A UK university is aiming to study the impact of menopause symptoms on autistic people, including what sort of support and adjustments may be able to help in the workplace.

The three-year research project by academics at Bournemouth University will look at the menopausal experiences of autistic people, not least because until relatively recently autism was believed mainly to affect men.

The research, which is being carried out by psychologists Professor Julie Turner-Cobb and Dr Rachel Moseley, will compare the experiences of neurodivergent and neurotypical people at different stages of the menopausal transition.

It will involve 500 people in total, both autistic and non-autistic, aged between 40-60 years, to cover the main age bracket for perimenopause and through to post menopause.

The aim is to unpick which factors are responsible for driving differences in menopausal experiences, and menopause symptoms, between both groups.

The research is being funded by Henpicked: Menopause In The Workplace, which works to promote better understanding of menopause and facilitate greater support, both in and out of the workplace

Dr Moseley and Professor Turner-Cobb have said they hope their findings will be able to be used to identify strategies and early interventions to better prepare both autistic and non-autistic people for the onset of menopause symptoms.

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For example, autistic people going through menopause can struggle to communicate with medical professionals, leaving them less able to access the healthcare they need.

“We need to know why people who are going through menopause experience particularly difficult times if they are autistic,” said Professor Turner-Cobb. “When menopause hit, their coping mechanisms often stopped working and it was at this point that some sought a diagnosis.”