'Change of life': The menopause and women with intellectual disabilities

Despite being an experience common to all women, very little attention has traditionally been paid to the menopause as it affects women with intellectual disabilities. A 2-year project is underway in England to explore how much women with intellectual disabilities understand about the menopause, how they experience it, and what support they receive from services and families. One aim of the project is to develop educational materials and formulate good models of support for menopausal women. The present paper reports some preliminary findings from interviews with women with intellectual disabilities who are approaching, going through or who have been through the menopause.