Celia Holman Lee: Menopause can be a difficult milestone for women to accept

The 70-year-old model and fashion stylist says she didn't discuss menopause when she was going through it because of the stigma

Celia Holman Lee is lending her voice to LyodsPharmacy's Menopause Matters campaign.

More than half of menopausal or post-menopausal women feel they didn’t receive enough information about menopause before they began to experience symptoms while the majority of women yet to go through menopause don’t feel prepared for it.

That’s according to new research from Lloyds Pharmacy which also found over half of women do not seek treatment to help with the symptoms associated with menopause despite the significant impact they can have. 

Model and fashion stylist Celia Holman Lee, who is an ambassador for Lloyds Pharmacy's Menopause Matters campaign said her own mother never discussed menopause with her.

“It was just not something you spoke about,” she says.

Her mother, like many older women, referred to it simply as “the change” and Celia didn’t know what to expect when she went through it herself.

Celia Holman Lee is lending her voice to LyodsPharmacy's Menopause Matters campaign.

“We have discussions about mental health, breast cancer, heart disease… but menopause has not been discussed.” 

“When I was going through it... there wasn't enough conversation, there wasn't enough information, there wasn't enough anything."

Celia, who recently turned 70, said she didn't discuss it herself when she was going through it. 

“I would have felt there was a stigma around talking about it," she admitted. 

"If I talk about this I’ll be seen as old... but I shouldn’t have felt that.” 

Alongside the physical symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and hair thinning, Celia feels menopause can be a difficult thing for women to deal with because it is a sign you are “moving on” in life.

“With menopause, your periods stop, and you can never have children again.

“It's a milestone, and a big change in one's body, and some women will find that very emotional.

“It did cross my mind back in the day when it was happening to me. Even though I had two kids and it was enough for me. But, when you have a choice you can say what you like, but when you don't have a choice, it's a different situation.” 

Celia Holman Lee said her mother never discussed menopause with her 

At 70 years of age, Celia says she is proof that there is life after menopause - and a good one at that.

“Look at me. I'm working, working, and I know hundreds of women of my ilk out there working and living good lifestyles."

“It’s not a disease, it’s not an illness. It’s something that happens every woman in the world.” 

"Some women sail through it, some women don't," she says, but it is a natural part of life that we all go through.

"And we get through it." 

• Women who want to find out more about what to expect before and during menopause, as well as treatment options, can visit LloydsPharmacy’s new online Menopause Hub or visit their local LloydsPharmacy for further information about menopause, treatments and supplements.