Don't let menopause pause you, embrace it with confidence and dismantle stigmas

Among other deterrents, the biological clock is one of the factors that pose a roadblock in women's career progression. Women face sexism, unequal pay, gender stereotypes, fewer promotions, and other inequalities in workplaces; and learn to fight them all. But in order to maintain respectable career growth, women often sideline their health which keeps deteriorating with time. 

One such health-related concern is the stage of menopause, which is a natural decline in reproductive hormones when a woman reaches her 40s or 50s. Menopause means that your menstrual cycles are ending. This natural biological process is diagnosed after you've gone 12 months without a menstrual period. 

Despite being a natural process, the physical and mental symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, can disrupt your sleep, diminish your energy, and have an impact on your emotional health. 

WION got in touch with experts to know how women can embrace this crucial phase along with focusing on their career and personal life. 

Dr Rituparna Ghosh, Consultant Senior Clinical Psychologist, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai told WION, "Embracing menopause with confidence means acknowledging its challenges while harnessing the resilience and wisdom gained from navigating life's transitions."

"Let us foster environments where women feel empowered to seek support, openly discuss their experiences, and embrace self-care practices that nurture their mind, body, and spirit. Together, let's dismantle stigmas surrounding menopause and empower women to embrace this chapter of life with confidence, resilience, and a renewed sense of purpose," she added.     

Dr VK Shantha, MD, DGO, DNB, Senior Consultant Obstetrician & Gynecologist, BirthRight by Rainbow Hospitals, Anna Nagar, Chennai told WION, "The menopausal transition is a crucial phase in a woman's life, with various changes such as caring for ageing parents, supporting children, and accepting new obligations." 

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that most women go through menopause between the ages of 45 and 55 as a natural component of biological ageing. Some women are luckier than the rest and face fewer issues with menstrual symptoms, while others go through hot flashes, difficulty in sleeping, sexual dysfunction, mood swings, anger, sadness, or a combination of these symptoms, encouraging them to seek treatment. 

A decades-old study had accurately projected the future as it noted that using age 50 as a proxy for menopause, about 25 million women pass through menopause each year. The study estimated that in 1990 there were 467 million post-menopausal women in the world, with an average age of about 60 years. It mentioned that by 2030, the world population of menopausal and postmenopausal women is projected to increase to 1.2 billion, with 47 million new entrants each year. 

Dr Shantha added, "As medical professionals, we must acknowledge this natural shift and provide women with the knowledge, support, and confidence they require to manage it with grace and resilience." 

"Women need comprehensive health services in terms of physical changes and emotional changes including symptom education, management strategies, and treatment accessibility. Celebrating a woman's health is a beautiful way of making her feel empowered enough so that she can make educated health decisions in her life," she added. 

Dr Padmapriya, HOD- Department of Obstetrics, gynaecology and fertility medicine, Gleneagles Health City, Chennai, told WION about the various issues faced by women after menopause. 

She said, "The major health problems faced by women after menopause is non-cancerous conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids in the uterus and cancerous conditions such as endometrial, cervical, ovarian and breast cancers." 

"The main factor linked with increased cancer risk after menopause is the increased exposure to hormones, such as estrogen. Early menarche and late menopause increase the exposure to endogenous estrogen, and thereby increase the risk of above-mentioned conditions," Dr Padmapriya added. 

However, with the advancement in surgical technologies, there are better treatment options available for women's health issues after menopause. 

Dr Padmapriya said, "Robotic-assisted surgery by using advanced technologies like the da Vinci is one such way." 

She added that with its precision and ability to access deeper pelvic areas, robotic surgery ensures maximal removal of abnormal tissues, potentially improving patient outcomes and quality of life. 

The enhanced adoption of such technologies in India gives new hope to women to tackle their health problems more effectively after menopause, she said.