Getting older is hard for everyone, but it can be especially difficult for those who struggle with change.
For many women, there is no greater change than menopause, which marks the end of their childbearing years.
This phase often leads to hormonal changes, hot flashes, night sweats and brain fog, disrupting daily routines.
And for many autistic people, a strict routine helps manage chaos and reduce anxiety.
This is why researchers at Bournemouth University in England are sounding the alarm: autistic women may suffer more severe menopausal symptoms than non-autistic women.
“We know that menopause can be challenging for people without autism: symptoms force 1 in 10 women to leave the workforce,” said study author Eunhee Kim, a doctoral student.
“People with autism may already have difficulty with memory, planning, managing emotions and sensory sensitivities, and many struggle to fit in and mask their differences while struggling with these things, so menopause could make things that are already difficult for them worse.”
What the researchers discovered
Autism affects approximately 1 in 45 American adults and is almost as common in women as in men.
Neurodevelopmental condition influences social communication, interaction and behavior.
Researchers compared the menopause experiences of 476 autistic and 425 non-autistic participants to see how they differed in terms of symptom severity, quality of life, depression and anxiety. The women were aged between 40 and 60 years old.
Overall, autistic participants reported that their menopausal symptoms were about six points worse than non-autistic participants.
These symptoms included hot flashes, irregular periods, weight gain, vaginal dryness, headaches, trouble concentrating, and bladder problems.
Depression and anxiety were on average almost four points higher in autistic participants.
Quality of life showed the largest difference: autistic participants scored on average 12.14 points lower.
The findings were published Tuesday in the journal Autism in Adulthood.
The authors note that depression, anxiety, and quality of life were all related to the severity of menopausal symptoms.
Autistic participants were also significantly more likely to suffer from serious health conditions. They were twice as likely to have one or more cardiovascular problems, such as heart disease, compared to the control group.
They were also four times more likely to have a musculoskeletal problem like hypermobility (unstable joints causing frequent injuries) and chronic pain.
Many autistic participants also suffered from several serious and chronic health conditions.
Why does autism make menopause more difficult?
Heart problems are one factor. Kim thinks pre-existing mental and physical health issues could make it “a particularly difficult time during menopause.”
Her team also found that “feelings of loss of control and difficulty understanding the bodily and mental changes associated with menopause” seemed to predict the severity of menopause symptoms.
“Autistic people have often told us, ‘I thought I was going crazy,’ or ‘I thought I had an illness,’ because their menopause experiences don’t resemble what they’ve read or heard from other people,” said study author Julie Gamble-Turner.
“Helping people feel less scared, confused and out of control – for example, by giving them autistic-friendly information about what to expect during the menopause – means we are better able to help them.”
Author Rachel Moseley suggests that doctors and other healthcare professionals take note to better help autistic patients.
“Sometimes doctors don’t believe the extent of their difficulties, perhaps because autistic people don’t necessarily show their distress in the way non-autistic people expect,” she said.
“Autistic people can be in crisis and still appear calm and logical. It is very important to believe anyone who tells you they are struggling.”
Gn Health
