Menopause & Cultural Differences
Let’s talk about Menopause & Cultural Differences.
I was in my teens when my mum first experienced menopausal symptoms.
It didn’t come naturally to my mother as she just had a hysterectomy, inevitably leading to surgical menopause during her early 40s. It was a bit earlier than natural menopause, as the average age of menopause for Filipinas is 48 years old.
Constant Headache & Fatigue
But unlike Westerners, my mother didn’t experience the number one symptom that Western women often complained about: hot flushes/flashes. Instead, her most significant symptoms were constant headaches and fatigue, like she’d rather stay in bed than move around.Â
Mood Swings & Menopause
She also experienced mood swings, although it didn’t happen a lot. But when they did, suffice it to say that we’d rather stay as far away from her as possible.
Ethnicities & Menopause
Indeed, the symptoms of menopause differ among women of various ethnicities. While menopause is a universally shared experience among all women, the actual experience varies cross-culturally because of factors like diet and climate.
Menopause In The Western World
American women and other Westerners often view menopause with a biomedical lens. They often report vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes/flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and menstrual irregularities.
Studies also show that American and European women who were most bothered by menopause symptoms are from lower socioeconomic classes—a complete opposite among Asian women, as those with a higher socioeconomic status reported more severe symptoms.
Cultural Meanings
Cultural meanings of menopause also influence a woman’s perception and reporting of symptoms. For instance, perimenopausal American women report heavy bleeding and hot flushes/flashes as bothersome. In contrast, women in some other countries welcome these symptoms because they believe that they prepare the body for old age and carry one safely through menopause.
Negativity Among Western Society
Menopause also has a more negative connotation among Western societies, as women are valued for sexual attractiveness. As a result, aging is viewed negatively. Although recent research suggests that women now see menopause as a natural process. They are now more concerned about their overall health and well-being.
The Eastern View On Menopause
Contrary to popular belief, Asian women still experience menopausal symptoms. They just experience it differently.
For example, Japanese women associate headaches, shoulder stiffness, and chilliness with menopause. Filipino women often get headaches, but they seldom experience hot flashes/flushes. Indian women might feel bothered by cycle changes. An example is that they might experience hair thinning, but not much else.
These women may experience the typical menopausal symptoms—they just don’t associate it with the phenomenon, leading to the under-reporting of these bothersome symptoms. In fact, many Filipino women think that most menopausal symptoms were not that serious to warrant medical care.
Diets Rich In Soy
Another possibility is the lifestyle differences among different cultures. For instance, the low incidence of hot flushes/flashes among Japanese women may be due to their high soy intake, a rich source of phytoestrogens.
Non-Western cultures also view menopause in a more positive light compared to Westerners. In India, menopause gives them the freedom to go out in public because they’re no longer tied to the constraints imposed upon menstruating women. The same attitude is prevalent in Thailand, as Thai women see menopause as freedom from the anxiety brought about by menstruation.
As you see, your view on menopause may vary based on your culture and ethnicity. But whether you experience severe symptoms or not, your attitude matters in your perception of this natural life occurrence.
Next, why not find out about the first signs of menopause?
