Autism and the Menopause Transition: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review.

The review included only eight peer-reviewed studies, supplemented with seven pieces of grey literature. Searches were limited to English language publications. Participants were mostly recruited online, so they may not represent all Autistic people. Most studies did not report ethnicity, and where ethnicity was reported, many participants were white. The research team did not include Autistic people with co-occurring intellectual disabilities. No included sources reported the views of people who support Autistic people during menopause. There was limited evidence on pain, incontinence, urogenital symptoms, sex life impacts, and HRT. No study evaluated an intervention, so the review cannot show whether any treatment works. Comparative data came from small samples.

Do not read these themes as evidence that any treatment works. None of the included studies evaluated an intervention, so the paper can describe needs and experiences but cannot show whether support, HRT, or self-management helps.