TO most women, the thought of their bloke going through a male version of the menopause is worthy of a large eye roll. But earlier this year scientists claimed that symptoms of The Change can pass from one partner to the other — resulting in a slump for both, dubbed the couple-pause . While experiencing mood swings, hot flushes and a low libido can be difficult, a man at home mirroring the symptoms could make things more unpleasant.
Bertie Stringer knows this all too well. She was planning her wedding when her 46-year-old partner Sheldon got into the habit of giving her a peck on the lips before rolling over to sleep instead of making love to her. While Bertie’s sex drive stayed intact during the menopause , Sheldon’s had suddenly fallen off a cliff.
Bertie, 49, says: “Previously, neither of us had ever had any complaints about our sex life. “It was frequent and satisfying for us both. But now, every time we started having a kiss and a cuddle, Sheldon would turn away before things went any further.
“I was frustrated at the rejections. We were only four years into our relationship . “We were also in the middle of organising our wedding.
Suddenly Sheldon had no more enthusiasm preparing for our big day than he had for sex. “I worried he’d gone off me, but he insisted he still loved me, still found me attractive and still wanted to marry me, but he just couldn’t be bothered with sex or anything else.” Looking back, the pair believe they were going through t.