The Big M: Menopause Myths and Facts

Spread the love

For women, life is never easy. Even if we had to keep the patriarchy and misogyny aside, we will still struggle with our physical selves. After puberty, menstruation, childbirth, motherhood, etc., there is another passage that we are destined to pass through in our lives; menopause. And just like the others, no one promises that this will be a bed of roses either. Menopause comes with its own set of issues. And as if this wasn’t enough, there is the perimenopause which occurs before menopause. Before I could get further let me define these terms for you.

Menopause- This is a biological process that marks the end of your menstrual cycles after 12 months have passed without a menstrual period. Menopause can happen in 40s or 50s. This is accompanied by physical symptoms, such as hot flashes, and emotional symptoms of menopause may disrupt sleep, lower energy or affect emotional health because of the decline in reproductive hormones. But it can also result from ovarian removal surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, or premature ovarian insufficiency (POI).

Perimenopause- This is the transition, begins several years before menopause when the ovaries gradually begin to make less estrogen. It lasts up until menopause and in the last 1 to 2 years of perimenopause, this drop in estrogen speeds up and women have menopause symptoms.

At these times, women need to be understood and supported more than ever because the symptoms can be depleting, overwhelming and confusing. Low mood, sweats, low energy, fatigue, irritability, stress, weight gain and many more symptoms can be felt all at the same time and many women may not be aware or understand what they are going through. Hence awareness and educating about this condition helps in managing this phase so that one may go through it smoothly and gracefully.

Here are some common myths and facts associated with menopause.

Myth: Hot flashes means you are nearing menopause

Fact: Hot flashes or excessive sweating and a flushed face are a common symptom but do not mean that it happens to everyone or signifies menopause. While some women never experience this, others may experience it for a period of a few years. This can be accompanied by night sweats, rapid heartbeats, and chills. Avoiding triggers like caffeine, tight clothes, spicy food, cigarettes, and alcohol can help.

Myth: Menopause is natural and there is no need to see a doctor

Fact: Yes as much as menopause is a natural occurrence in a woman’s life, meeting a doctor can help in keeping health parameters in check and also help in managing the symptoms better with the help of medical guidance and proper nutrition. Menopause is not a one size fits all condition. Being informed and aware helps in understanding the body. Also, due to the depleting hormones, the chances of poor bone health, hair loss, increase. Adding the right supplements to a good diet can help combat this.

Myth: You cannot have a normal sex life or enjoy orgasms after menopause

Fact: On the contrary, many women enjoy great sex because they now do not have the ability to conceive and this though can be liberating. For some libido is affected. Due to the decrease in estrogen levels, the vaginal lining can become thinner, dryer, and inflexible and this can be prevented with lubricants and vaginal creams. But using contraceptives should be encouraged because they also prevent STDs/STIs and other diseases like HIV.

Myth: Hormone therapy can help ease menopause symptoms

Fact: Hormone replacement (give them estrogen) is to help manage extreme hot flashes and night sweats but symptoms are different for everyone and should be a personal decision between the patient and her doctor. Women with a history of blood clots, breast cancer, etc. may not be a candidate for hormones. For some women who attain menopause earlier due to premature ovarian insufficiency, hormone therapy is considered by the doctor after taking other factors and health parameters into account.

Myth: weight gain and depression is inevitable

Fact: Middle-aged weight gain is more because of aging than menopause. People gain fat as they age due to decreased muscle mass, less physical activity, and poor sleep. A watchful diet with more protein, fruits, vegetables, and an active life with walking and proper exercises help keep weight gain in check.

Perimenopausal and Menopausal Depression in women without any past depression in earlier life is not common. However, if depressive feelings persist, medical intervention is needed. Depression can also be because of post-retirement for working women or empty nest syndrome and may not be entirely linked to menopause itself.

Spread the love

Ever wondered why a shopkeeper gives you a pack of ‘Stayfree’ wrapped in paper? In India, one can openly buy alcohol and cigarettes, buying sanitary napkins still remains a shame.

It’s nothing but a natural process

Menstruation among women, despite being a natural phenomenon has always been encircled by secrecy and myths in many Indian societies. Menstruation, commonly known as periods, still continues to be a deep-rooted taboo in India. In a lot of places, menstruating women are made to abstain from any holy deed, religious or otherwise. They are not allowed to enter the temples and worship, because they traditionally assumed to be impure. The prejudice against menstruating women even goes to the extent of not allowing them to sleep on their beds, take bath or decorate themselves. More often than not, most women face an almost inhuman treatment every month for 4-5 days. The bias is ironical on many levels for a developing country like India where we talk about digitalization, women empowerment, reaching on the Mars and campaigns like “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao”.

How do we expect the nation to grow when in India, every year 23 million girls drop out of school as and when they start menstruating, according to report by NDTV. The report also says that 70% of girls remain unaware of menstruation until their first period. Most girls approach their mothers, but in rural areas, even the mothers, due to very limited knowledge of menstrual hygiene and its management, do not know how to explain it to their teen daughters.

Lack of awareness

Most women across India are unaware of the real reason behind menstruation. It has been instead treated as a taboo for generations together. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness continues to shadow young girls reaching their respective menstrual age. The taboo not just affects their social lives but chronically affects their health too. Surveys by the Ministry of Health in 2002, 2005, 2008 and 2012 found out that roughly 120 million menstruating adolescents experience menstrual dysfunctions which affect their everyday lives. Also, due to poor menstrual hygiene, nearly 60,000 deaths are reported every year from India. As a result of the unforgiving stigma, women are hesitant to seek medical help.

Sabarimala issue

One of the recently raised issues in Kerala, a high literacy rate in India burnt in a crimson red fire of period taboo for about four to five months. To contextualise, women between the age of 10-50 were strictly prohibited in the Sabarimala Temple owing to their menstruating bodies. The taboos which should have been vanished long ago are still prevalent due to some unsocial and unreasonable beliefs.

Time to break the myths

Breaking the wheel of poor menstrual hygiene may seem like a herculean task given the gripping clutch of the stigma that has manacled the society as a whole. Menstrual hygiene is a real deal because the lack of it can claim even lives. The deep-rooted stigma, myths and misconception have to be challenged in every household. Most importantly, menstrual awareness needs to be taught in school to everyone including boys. Mothers may need to realise that bleeding daughters are okay and their periods need not come in the way of their growth and education. The change needs to come from every mother who doesn’t tell her daughter “do not discuss your period to anyone”.