Waterford's first health clinic dedicated to menopause has opened in Ballybricken.
It's part of Fitzpatrick's Medical Centre in Ballybricken.
Dr Sinéad Fitzpatrick says it's becoming less of a taboo subject but she's finding there's still some stigma when it comes to discussing menopause:
"It's certainly very heartening for us to see, over the last while, the amount of women who are asking about it, who are raising the issue with us.
"Before you would have to kind of go searching for it - a woman might come in with maybe mental health concerns, or joint concerns, or whatever, and you would have to try and tease it out.
"Women were a bit reluctant to talk about it. There was very much a perception out there that there wasn't anything we could do to help.
"It's changing, but it is there."
Dr Fitzpatrick says it is important that myths around treatment of menopause symptoms are dispelled and that women feel they can get the correct information from medical professionals.
She says they've been suffering in silence for far too long:
"[People say] you know, 'you'll be fine in a few years, just grin and bear it, you'll be fine', and I really would hope that that message is changing.
"There are so many ways that we can help. A lot of the information that came out over the last maybe 10 to 20 years has been completely proven to be not accurate and it's something that we can really, really help with.
"It's just that people need somebody who's available to talk to them about it and somebody who is up to date and educated on what the current thinking is on it."
