A Pause for Menopause

When Jane was 37 years old, she went to her doctor expressing concerns over behavioral changes ranging from sudden anger to brain fog to panic attacks. Jane was then prescribed a glass of wine for her anxiety and was informed that her mood swings were a common symptom of… marriage. In reality, Jane was experiencing early perimenopause, the period of 2 to 8 years before the end of menstruation. Her symptoms, along with hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and sleep issues are common experiences for the more than a billion people globally who have experienced menopause, according to the Menopause Society in 2026. Despite the number of postmenopausal people only rising as the global population continues to age, there is still a heavy stigma surrounding menopause and the little we understand about it. As Jennifer Gunter, gynecologist and author of the Menopause Manifesto, puts it, “Between widespread misinformation, a lack of research, and the culture of shame around women's bodies, it is no wonder women are unsure what to expect during the menopause transition and beyond.” It is clear that medical information is continually weaponized against women to dehumanize and delegitimize their experiences with menopause. So, let’s take the first step toward understanding by examining menopause in both the societal and medical spheres, before finally analyzing some necessary solutions. Because menopause will at some point affect over half of the population, yet persistent social apprehension has limited educational opportunities and made the topic taboo.

Theories of menopauses' evolution range from the benefits of grandmothers, to a side effect of longer lifespans, to even the reduction of reproductive fights between mothers and their daughters because my mom better not steal my man. Despite being one of only five species to experience menopause, scientists still do not know why it occurs and as a general society, we know even less. Two points: lack of education, and menopause is not taken seriously.
First lack of education on menopause. According to CNN in December 2025, 90% of postmenopausal women reported not learning about menopause in schools. People simply are not aware of basic information surrounding menopause, like that menopause occurs when 12 months have passed without a period and that the before and after of that moment is called peri and post-menopause. It is not just formal education silencing these discussions. Socially, we shy away in confusion, disgust, or disinterest. When menopause does get brought up, it is often as the butt of a joke.
Second menopause is not taken seriously. Because as Jokes 4 Us so aptly put it, “What’s ten times worse than a woman in menopause? Two women in menopause!” See it’s funny because, well, menopause, menopause makes women hysterical. Women are already generalized as dramatic, emotional, and moody, and the stereotype only worsens as menstruation jokes turn into menopause jokes. After all, what’s ten times worse than a woman? An aging woman. These unfortunate jokes about menopause are not just embarrassing but also serve to perpetuate a culture of myth and shame. According to Health Central in October 2025, 82% of menopausal women felt severe stigma associated with menopause, which can be a significant barrier in seeking care.

Originally, this speech was supposed to be about treatment options for menopause and the ways misinformation from one flawed study has shaped stigma around Menopause Hormonal Replacement Therapy for the last two decades. However, there is such an overwhelming general lack of knowledge on menopause, that I was unable to fully represent this aspect of the stigma crisis. Rather than discussing treatment, we instead must address two underrepresented problems: OBGYNs are still uneducated, and barriers to accessing care.
First, doctors are still uneducated. In 2026, Flow Space found that fewer than 1 in 5 OBGYN doctors received formal menopausal training during their residency. The menopausal care gap leaves patients without options to deal with their symptoms and without a reliant source to ask questions to. Of course, there are menopausal specialists that many turn to after receiving little to no help from their primary physician or gynecologist. However, according to certified menopause practitioner Dr. Jennifer Davis in March 2026, initial consultations with a menopause specialist can be upwards of 100 dollars if you are lucky enough to have the right insurance, otherwise, you are facing almost 600 dollars out of pocket. That is simply not an affordable reality for so many.
Second, barriers to accessing care. The National Center for Biotechnology Information in November 2023 explains that a combination of societal stigma and previous negative experience with health professionals discourage women from seeking help for symptoms so severe that 10% of women have left their employment because of it. After being dismissed by uninformed physicians, many women chose not to bring menopause back up because they believe their doctors see it as a low priority. Deciding on menopausal treatment is a deeply personal and individual choice that needs to be made with an informed medical professional, but clearly this is a challenge when doctors are unprepared and unwilling.

As Alison Moore, associate professor of medical humanities put it, “the French likely invented menopause.” Or at least kicked off the generations of shame that brought us where we are today. Western culture chooses to see menopause as a disease, but it does not have to be that way. Three solutions: increased education medically, socially, and personally.
First, educating doctors. If our healthcare providers are uninformed about menopause, then how are we supposed to get accurate information? Not only should menopause be a large part of OBGYN training, it should also be implemented into the education of all primary care physicians. This curriculum combined with resources for practitioners to stay up to date on treatment options can help alleviate the isolation many menopausal patients endure.
Second, increased education socially. As explained by Hannah Smee in her 2025 thesis, some Southern Asian cultures view menopause not as a health condition, but as a liberating and natural experience. Embracing this mindset of respect for our elders, while still understanding and supporting menopauses' physical challenges is a vital step in overcoming our history of degradation. In practice, this looks like being mindful of the language you utilize to discuss menopause and avoiding jokes that perpetuate stereotypes about aging women.
Finally, taking initiative to inform ourselves. Ask questions over areas of confusion, advocate for inclusion of menopause in sexual education, and listen to the stories of peri and post-menopausal women’s struggles. It’s true that online sources for comprehensive information are sparse, so I have created a website compiling personal stories, a map of Texas menopause specialists, and information about treatment options. At the end of the day, Menopause is not a lewd joke or horror story, it is a natural experience warranting treatment, respect, and education.

Jane threw back her doctor-prescribed wine glass and got to work finding a physician who would acknowledge and support her perimenopausal symptoms. Now, she works with her non-profit Menopause not Mad to spread essential information to women everywhere. Today, we examined menopause in both the societal and medical spheres, before finally analyzing some necessary solutions. We must reach past the point of outdated rhetoric and discuss menopause with the dignity it deserves.