The menopause can now be considered to be a mid-life event as the lifespan of women continues to increase in developed countries [1]. By the year 2025, the number of postmenopausal women is expected to rise to 1.1 billion worldwide. Although not all women will experience short- or long-term problems of menopause, the high prevalence of hot flushes [2,3] and vaginal atrophy [2,4], which can last for many years, as well as osteoporosis (1 in 3 women are at risk of an osteoporotic fracture) [5], makes caring for ageing women a key issue for health professionals.