Day 4: Cultural Perspectives of Menopause

In all the ways that women are similar, we each experience menopause a little differently. Differences in genetics, body chemistry and even mindset influence how we approach this journey. Our experience is also highly affected by the cultural influences in our lives. The culture that we are raised in and live in has a tremendous effect on what we do, what we think, what we value and how we do things. And to be sure, almost every culture has its own view of menopause.

How people think about menopause is largely influenced by their particular culture. And, how we experience menopause seems to be impacted by our cultural influences. Interesting, right?

Think about the culture you grew up in. Think about the ways in which the mature women in your family were treated, spoken to and spoken of. Chances are, there were patterns of thinking and behaviors that were common.

Take language for example. Cultures tend to have their own ways of describing menopause. The language used to describe this phase of life shows the difference in perspectives on the changes that it brings. For example, “the change” is a very common term used in Western cultures. Whereas in English menopause simply means the “end of monthly cycles,” the Japanese word for this time in a woman’s life is “konenki”. Literally translated, ko means “renewal and regeneration,” nen means “years,” and ki means “energy.” Translated to English, konenki simply means “menopause”. However, in the Japanese culture, konenki connotes a much longer, gradual transition where the end of fertility is just one factor. Menopause is seen as both a biological and as a cultural transition to the next phase of life.

How our culture views aging can affect how we experience menopause. In cultures where aging is revered and respected, women generally report symptoms that are relatively mild and manageable. Mayan Indian women, for example, report a much different relationship to menopause than how it is commonly portrayed in the West. Mayan women do not report any significant symptoms. They actually tend to look forward to menopause as it’s associated with a higher status within their communities and gives them a sense of growing freedom.3 In some indigenous societies, post-menopausal women are respected and referred to as “wise women”. Sometimes they are elevated to roles traditionally held by men.4,5

Culture can also shape the kinds of symptoms women report, and their severity. In Western societies, hot flashes are the hallmark of menopause. In other cultures, however, hot flashes are rarely reported. For example, in India, the main symptom women report is a problem with vision. In Japan, which until recently didn’t even have a word for hot flash, women most often report shoulder pain. Even across North American and European women, the symptoms that are reported vary quite a bit.6 And their particular culture seems to play a key part in defining what is considered a symptom of menopause.

So, while menopause seems to be recognized as the end of periods, there is a lot of variability in how women experience it and how cultures view it. There doesn’t seem to be one universal menopause, but variations of menopause that are influenced by the woman’s culture.

Before the next lesson, have a think about your own culture. How does it view women? Women’s health? Fertility? You might be surprised to find some connections between your culture and your experience of menopause.