Two male National Assembly deputies describe their experience after wearing hot vests.
Several male members of the UK Parliament have tried a vest that stimulates menopausal hot flashes, which some women experience, Guardians said in a report. He added it was part of an event to raise awareness of the severe shortage of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products in the UK.
The event was hosted in Congress by Labor MP Carolyn Harris and campaign group Over the Bloody Moon, BBC speak. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith and Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting were among those involved, the report added.
Ms Harris said it was easy to “underestimate” the intensity of hot flashes and their impact on daily life, and hoped the vests would help male colleagues empathize with the experience.
Wonderful @wesstreeting and @MPIainDS Put on #MenoVest and experience shows how debilitating hot flashes can occur over time # Menopause
They make quite the team!
I’m sure they really like me and @twocitiesnickie chew their ears! pic.twitter.com/6rQQrx4TIE
– Carolyn Harris MP (@carolynharris24) June 28, 2022
Participants described the vest as “volcano” and “very uncomfortable”.
“Now I’m feeling this on my back,” Guardians quote Iain Duncan Smith as saying. “Imagine you’re speaking in the House of Commons and suddenly you get angry. If (men) got into this, we would complain a lot,” he added.
“If you’re unconscious, we’ve got water,” Ms Harris joked.
The vest was developed by Over the Bloody Moon and sponsored by London-based Theramex, one of the largest manufacturers of HRT products in the UK. It uses an electrical pad to generate the heat that many women experience during menopause.
Menopause is a transitional period in a woman’s life when her menstrual cycle ends. It is confirmed 12 months after the last period. Symptoms such as hot flashes, weight gain, headaches, mood swings and inability to concentrate are experienced during this phase.
This happens because levels of an important female hormone called estrogen begin to decline, disrupting the normal cycle patterns of other hormones.
