Menopause: Of Candid Conversations & Safe Spaces

The need for candid conversations and collective support, during this transformative life phase.

Sustainability|Dec. 13, 2023

We’re very candid about health issues like a fever, stomach flu, or a headache. Yet, matters of women’s health, specifically reproductive health, have been historically veiled with silence.

Menopause is one such topic around which the silence is deafening. Even though half of the world’s population deals with the symptoms of menopause, conversations around it are a taboo, which only makes this critical phase harder to deal with.

“51 percent of the world’s population goes through menopause, why is it such a taboo? I think about this more and more. Who decided that it was uncomfortable to talk about a process that all women go through? Hopefully this silence will soon end.” – Jessica 51, Mexico City, Mexico. *

According to a recent survey conducted, 82% of respondents believe that menopause can impact a woman’s personal well-being, with many also believing it affects their sexual life (78%), family life (77%), social life (74%) and work life (81%).

It is important to recognize and acknowledge that this is not just a women’s health issue, but a human health one – and one steeped in emotion. Menopause awareness is crucial for any environment, be it a home, the workplace, or the community at large. Creating safe spaces for people to open up and cope, can help them appreciate all of life’s stages in a positive and healthy manner.

Let’s take a journey from ‘hush-hush’ to honesty, since it potentially affects almost all aspects of life, such as…

Personal relationships

“My symptoms began a few years ago, soon after my daughter returned home from graduating college. We weren’t used to living in the same house anymore and I was moody and irritable, snapping at her the whole time.” – Prisha 58, Bangalore, India. *

The transition to menopause can be bumpy, making menopause awareness within interpersonal relationships extremely crucial. Hormones are usually in a flux during this phase and this can affect everything from mood and energy levels to libido. Open dialogues about what one is going through with menopause symptoms help create an environment of understanding and empathy that smoothens ruffled feathers when it comes to shifting dynamics in relationships.

Professional Journeys

“I haven’t told a soul that I’m going through menopause. I don’t want people to think I’m getting old and can’t run my business.” – Jing Wen 44, Guangzhou, China.*

Ageist stereotypes surround menopause can cause a lot of turmoil for professionals going through the menopausal transition. It is also often the age when many women are coming into leadership positions at work. Imagine being in a meeting and being hit by intense waves of heat, a flushed face and profuse sweating, i.e. hot flashes, and having to pretend that all is well! Studies say that approximately one-third of women reported moderate to severe difficulties coping at work because of menopausal symptoms. Taking away the element of ‘shame’ and embarrassment and normalizing conversations about health can go a long way in creating safe, supportive and inclusive spaces, regardless of gender.

Community health

Around 1.1 billion women globally will be postmenopausal by 2025, making women’s wellbeing a collective societal responsibility. With its inherent impacts on quality of life, effects on physical and mental health, ramifications on employment and financial security and more, this biological process does affect public health management. Empowering women to tide through a turbulent time in their lives, is not only an individual responsibility, but a community-based one. Perimenopause and menopause awareness with regards to symptoms, coping measures and treatment, is key.

Self acceptance

“I am 54 now and realize that menopause is not just about coping with physical discomfort and biological symptoms. It’s also about how one feels going through it. Despite hurdles coming our way, we must learn to make the best of it and find a way to thrive.” – Reeva 54, Asansol, India.*

Aging, and dealing with conditions associated with aging like menopause, is never easy. With people shying away from sharing what they’re going through with loved ones or even their doctors, they are often blindsided by perimenopausal and menopause symptoms. Studies say that over 90% of women were never taught about menopause in school and their younger years either. With changes to not just physical health, but also fertility, metabolism, appearance etc. it can take a toll on one’s self confidence and esteem. While every experience is individual, knowing what to expect can help one embrace this next chapter of life, find the right treatment to help alleviate symptoms, and adjust to the potentially disorienting changes! Never hesitate to reach out to your doctor and other support systems.

Being a support system and caregiver

Menopause is a journey better taken with someone supportive by your side. Providing emotional support to someone going through menopause can make a world of a difference to how they process and manage their experience. Knowing about menopause symptoms and effects, especially as a partner or primary support system, can help one adjust expectations, ease friction and provide the right kind of support at the right time, be it of the physical, emotional or practical kind.

Everyone stands to gain from destigmatizing menopause. Opening up about one’s lived reality not only reduces one’s feeling of isolation, but it can also help others going through a similar experience to understand and respond to their own circumstances. Similarly, candid communication can facilitate knowledge sharing that equips partners, family members, friends, and communities to become more empathetic as caregivers.

So let’s all do our bit to speak up and sustain the conversation. Because your menopause story can empower someone else to live theirs.

* Read inspiring and heartening stories at: https://www.womenfirst.com/menopause/thenextchapter

Disclaimer: The information mentioned in this document is only suggestive /for patient education and shall not be considered as a substitute for doctor’s advice or recommendations from Abbott. Please consult your doctor for more information.