“Volcanic”: Male UK Politicians Try Hot Flush Vests To Simulate Menopause

The two male parliamentarians describe their experience after wearing hot flush vests.

Some male members of the UK’s Parliament tried out a vest that stimulates menopause hot flushes, which some women experience, The Guardian said in a report. This was part of an event to raise awareness about the acute shortages of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products in the UK, he report further said.

The event was organised in Parliament by Labour MP Carolyn Harris and the campaign group Over the Bloody Moon, the BBC said. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith and Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting were among those who took part in it, the report further said.

Ms Harris said it was “easy to underestimate” the intensity of hot flushes and the impact they have on daily life, and hoped the vests would help male colleagues empathise with the experience.

Wonderfully @wesstreeting and @MPIainDS put on the #MenoVest and experienced just how debilitating hot flushes can be during #Menopause

They make quite the team!

I’m sure they enjoyed me and @twocitiesnickie chewing their ears off! pic.twitter.com/6rQQrx4TIE

— Carolyn Harris MP (@carolynharris24) June 28, 2022

The participants described the vest as “volcanic” and “very uncomfortable”.

“I’m feeling this on my back now,” The Guardian quoted Iain Duncan Smith as saying. “Imagine making a speech in the House of Commons and suddenly getting a hot flush. If (men) had this, we’d be complaining a lot,” he further said.

“If you pass out, we’ve got water,” joked Ms Harris.

The vest was developed by Over the Bloody Moon and funded by London-based Theramex, one of the biggest makers of HRT products in the UK. It uses an electric pad to generate heat that many women experience during menopause.

Menopause is a transition in a woman’s life as her menstrual cycle comes to an end. It is confirmed 12 months post the final period. Symptoms like hot flashes, weight gain, headache, mood swings, and not being able to concentrate are experienced during this phase.

This happens because the levels of an important female hormone known as oestrogen start to decline, disrupting the normal cyclical patterns of other hormones too.