The menopause is one of life's certainties - what's less certain these days is how we might choose to approach it when it arrives. Until recently, HRT seemed to be the universal panacea. Now newer scientific evidence has begun to cast doubt on its efficacy and even its safety, and women everywhere are starting to rethink their options. But with a flood of conflicting messages from doctors and the media, trying to work out what the alternatives are, and what might be best for us is a headache in itself.