Perspective on Women's Health Blog #1

Menopause, defined as the cessation of the menstrual cycle, and it also marks the end of a woman's reproductive years.  The cessation of menstruation is normally when a woman goes through menopause. As a woman's ovaries will slow the production of hormone's both estrogen and progesterone in the years leading up to menopause. During this process woman may experience a range of symptoms,they may vary from irregular periods to vaginal dryness, mood swings and even insomnia. During my research I was surprised to find that; menopause sign, symptoms and view vary within cultures. " Marcha Flint studied 483 woman in India and found that most complained of no symptoms" (Menopause Around the World-Woman in Balance Institute",2020). In a study in Hong Kong, researchers found that the symptoms most complained about  was joint and muscle problems. In all these studies symptoms were reported to be "mild".  It seems that life style plays an important role in the effects that expected. 

Menopause if viewed differently around the world.  In the Western culture, menopause is often referred to as a sign as aging.  Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, a professor specializing in gynecological health at Yale Medical School, found that "In societies where age is more revered and the older woman is the wiser and better woman, menopausal symptoms are significantly less bothersome."(What Cultures Actually Celebrate Menopause?",2020)  In some cultures menopause is a sign of new respect and freedom for women.  "Mayan woman, although experiencing some uncomfortable symptoms looked forward to menopause, at it provided new found freedom and status (Stefanopoulou)"(Menopause Around the World-Woman In Balance Institute",2020) Marcha Flint found that in Rajasthan, India, woman who were veiled and secluded before menopause, could now come down stairs from their woman's quarters to where the men talked and drank home brew" woman at this time was allowed to publicly visit and joke with men after menopause. ( Flint 1975) Even though hormonal changes after menopause  produce similar symptoms in many woman, cultural differences can still shape how people experience this stage of a woman's life

References:

Menopause Around the World - Women in Balance Institute. (2020). Retrieved 21 June 2020, from https://womeninbalance.org/2014/09/17/menopause-around-the-world/

What Cultures Actually Celebrate Menopause?. (2020). Retrieved 21 June 2020, from https://pausewellaging.com/blogs/connect-the-dots/why-whales-prove-we-need-to-start-celebrating-menopause