Manning I understood that a third of all elderly Australian women suffer from osteoporosis and that bone density examinations were routine for any fractures in patients over 50. The bone density scans are free for younger women who satisfy a range of criteria.

Hear, hear!

I've been suspicious of HRT due to my sense that it's risky interfering with natural processes and my skepticism that pills in most instances give quick and easy solutions. Rather pharmaceutical products generally create more problems than they solve.

So, having attended a menopause workshop about 10 years ago and considered the "scientific" evidence presented by a female doctor (doom and gloom about heart disease and osteoporisis if you don't take it); and also having heard what the naturopaths had to say, I decided to give HRT a miss.

My feelings about HRT were strongly supported by my subsequent reading of The Change by Germaine Greer, which outlines the history of the promotion of the oestrogen deficiency idea, by men and pharmaceutical companies.

At nearly 60 I have had 10 relatively symptom free years; am fit; have excellent health; and don't look my age. I feel that most of the so-called symptoms of menopause reflect other health and lifestyle issues that can be addressed simply and naturally. The scientific evidence shows that there are many contributing factors to osteoporosis other than an oestrogen deficiency; and why take a pill to improve cardiovascular health if diet and excercise are more effective and more fun.

Women who became depressed during menopause in earlier times were placed into mental institutions, often against their wills, (prior to HRT). So they were hidden from society. Women who developed symptoms of osteoporosis were unable to function, i.e. do the shopping, laundry, etc which involved carrying heavy loads. Children, neighbours, relatives were used more. Hence they were hidden from society also. A proportion of women suffer debilitating hot flushes for the rest of their lives. Since these are often quite obvious many choose to be out of the public gaze as much as possible. There are many more symptoms whose importance is played down, particularly now. For those who breeze through it symptomless, well done. For those who suffer quite horrendous symptoms, don't be swayed. HRT has a useful place, and deliberately turning the menopause into a 'sickness' to once again invoke guilt in those who would like to participate in a range of normal and useful activities, is quite wrong. It is not a sickness but suffering unnecessarily is also not normal. And with increased longevity the symptoms become more pronounced in any population. Monitoring and suiting the dosage to the minimum required I would think would prove a more useful outcome. Or better still, adequately funded research into more appropriate methods of coping with it for those women who suffer negatively from its effects.