大象传媒

For the next three weeks 大象传媒 Radio Four presents fresh perspectives on the menopause. Ignored or downplayed for so long, the ceasing of menstruation now supports a growing industry of treatment and symptom relief, backed up by books and podcasts, but levels of knowledge and sensitivity in the medical profession vary wildly. This short series gathers together three journalists each with a unique story of the menopause. In the first episode Annabelle Gauntlett searches for medical insights into her extraordinary experience.

鈥淎t 13 I had horrific hot flushes that made me feel trapped in my burning skin. Worst of all, nobody could figure out what was wrong with me.鈥�
Two years later Annabelle Gauntlett was diagnosed with premature ovarian insufficiency. While her friends were navigating puberty, Annabelle was going through the menopause.

In the first of three documentaries on contemporary experiences of the menopause, Annabelle, who鈥檚 now 21, investigates the medical causes of extreme cases of early onset menopause, examines the response of the medical profession and considers her own future in which natural childbirth is an unlikely prospect.

1 in 100 women in the UK experience menopause before the age of 40, but for most the reasons are unclear. Most of those women experience premature menopause in their 30s- cases like Annabelle鈥檚 are rare but extremely upsetting.

Annabelle says, 鈥淭eenage menopause quickly became my life. The same track played on repeat in my head every night: 鈥榃hy me?鈥� With no answers, no support and no future guidance, I became incredibly isolated from my peers who were navigating puberty while mine was ending.鈥�

鈥淢y infertility is something that evolves with me at every new stage of life. Recently I found myself smiling at a mother and baby playing peek-a-boo with a tear in my eye. I鈥檓 in awe of something I can鈥檛 ever have. Every relationship I enter, the first thing that springs to my mind is, 鈥楬ow and when will I tell him I can鈥檛 have children?鈥欌��

Annabelle- now a print and video journalist with Highland News and Media in Inverness- uses her diaries and social media posts from her teenage years to tell her own story, discusses the impact with others in a similar situation and talks to experts in the field about diagnosis, treatment and research.

Producer: Alasdair Cross