Cross- Cultural Menopause

This article found on the Women to Women website written by Dixie Mills, MD, is a great article about the cross cultural views on menopause. She first focuses on the Japanese culture and how women do not freely speak of menstruation or menopause, but in their culture, menopause does not bother them as much. Dr. Mills writes about how Japanese women do not go through the similar symptoms that American women go through, such as, hot flashes, insomnia, and depression. Instead, Japanese women mostly complain about shoulder stiffness or chillness (Dixie Mills, 2007).  She also explains how their lifestyle helps them have a better transitioning through menopause. She suggests that their diet of phytoestrogens and isoflavones, found in soybeans, and weekly exercise help them have less drastic changes in their menopause (Dixie Mills, 2007).

She then speaks of the Mayan culture and how they have “an all-natural, herb-based diet, and a slow, relatively easy pace of life, both elements which contribute heavily to fewer menopausal symptoms…” (Dixie Mills, 2007). She also explains “Mayan women also acquire new status when they enter menopause: they can become spiritual leaders of their communities” (Dixie Mills, 2007).  Dr. Mills continues to write about her findings on shamanistic cultures and menopause, “women must enter menopause to access their shamanic and healing powers. Menstrual blood has the power to create life in the womb, so when women reach the age of retaining their “wise blood,” they cross the threshold into “wise womanhood” by keeping their wise blood within. At this point they become priestesses and healers — the spiritual leaders of their communities” (Dixie Mills, 2007).

She goes on to explain about other cultures and their views about menopause. “Women in Kaliai, Papua New Guinea, welcome the end of childbearing without symptoms, as do many Native Americans and subcontinental Indians. And in northern Sudan, menopause is merely another facet of growing older, bringing with it increased social power and respect” (Dixie Mills, 2007). “In both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic medicine, the approach to menopause recognizes the individual. Similar symptom clusters (for example, hot flashes and night sweats, insomnia and anxiety) may arise in two women of entirely different constitutions for very different reasons. And both these ancient approaches, have always tailored treatment toward restoring balance to the individual, not to common symptoms” (Dixie Mills, 2007).

She ends her article explaining how if women in the United States took on the views of these other cultures on menopause, then menopause would not be such a fearful period of our lives. She promotes all women to embrace their menopause and not be weary of it.

Resources:

Dixie Mills, M. (2007, August 2). A look at menopause across cultures. Retrieved October 22, 2010, from Women to Women: http://www.womentowomen.com/menopause/menopauseacrosscultures.aspx

 I found this article to be enlightening and I feel like when the time comes for me to go through menopause, I shouldn’t be so depressed about it, but I should be grateful for it! Menopause is considered the renewal of one’s self around the world and that’s how we, as Americans, should view it as well.