Menopause doesn’t arrive all at once—it announces itself slowly.

There comes a time when the body starts sending new messages. Cycles that used to arrive like clockwork start to falter, sleep becomes lighter, heat rises from within without warning, and the skin seems to carry a different memory of time. Menopause doesn’t arrive all at once—it announces itself slowly. First through the body, then through emotions, and finally through the more subtle perceptions of a woman facing an inevitable transition still surrounded by taboos.

In this process, many feel disoriented. The body changes, but the world doesn’t always change with it. There is still silence, misunderstanding, and even shame surrounding a phase that is, in reality, natural, powerful, and deserving of clear, respectful information.

Understanding Menopause: What Happens in a Woman’s Body and Mind

Menopause is a natural physiological transition that marks the end of a woman’s reproductive phase. It’s defined by the permanent cessation of menstruation—twelve consecutive months without a period. This process is preceded by perimenopause, a stage that can last for years and is marked by significant hormonal fluctuations, especially in estrogen and progesterone levels.

Overall health, social support, and access to quality information play a crucial role

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), menopause typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age being 51. However, genetics, lifestyle, and overall health can all influence when it begins.

During perimenopause, hormonal changes may trigger a variety of physical and emotional symptoms. The most common include:

• Hot flashes: Sudden sensations of intense heat, usually in the face, neck, and chest, often accompanied by sweating and sometimes palpitations.

• Sleep disturbances: Insomnia or fragmented sleep, often linked to nighttime hot flashes.

• Mood swings: Irritability, anxiety, and depressive episodes are common and influenced by both hormonal and psychosocial factors.

• Vaginal dryness and decreased libido: Lower estrogen levels can lead to vaginal atrophy, making sexual intercourse uncomfortable.

• Menstrual changes: Irregular periods that may be shorter or longer before stopping altogether.

  
  

  

  Studies show that about 80% of Brazilian women report negative psychological symptoms during menopause.

Additionally, menopause is linked to increased risks of osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases due to the loss of estrogen’s protective effects on bones and the heart.

It’s essential to understand that the menopausal experience is highly individual—symptoms vary widely in intensity and duration. Overall health, social support, and access to quality information play a crucial role in how each woman navigates this stage.

Why Does Menopause Affect Emotions So Deeply?

Menopause isn’t just a biological transition—it’s also a time of intense emotional change. Drops in estrogen and progesterone levels directly impact neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which regulate mood. This hormonal shift can lead to irritability, anxiety, deep sadness, and even depressive episodes.

Menopause isn’t just a biological transition—it’s also a time of intense emotional change.

On top of the chemical changes, there are psychosocial elements at play. The perception of aging, the reshaping of social roles, and changes in sexual and reproductive life often bring feelings of loss, insecurity, and questions about feminine identity.

Studies show that about 80% of Brazilian women report negative psychological symptoms during menopause, including anxiety, depression, and embarrassment. Recognizing that these feelings are common—and seeking psychological support—is key to navigating this time with greater balance and clarity.

Why Is Menopause Still a Social Taboo?

Even though menopause is a natural stage in every woman’s life, it remains surrounded by stigma and silence. In many cultural and social contexts, it’s associated with the loss of femininity, attractiveness, and productivity—fueling outdated and negative perceptions of female aging.

Society must learn to see menopause not as an end—but as a powerful transition.

A global study conducted by Astellas Farma Brasil (a subsidiary of Japan-based Astellas Pharma Inc.) titled Menopause Experience & Attitudes, published on March 11, 2025, explored how menopause affects mental health and careers for women in Brazil and other countries.

The results were telling:

• 59% of respondents consider menopause a taboo topic.

• Only 25% feel it’s portrayed positively in society.

• Two-thirds believe menopausal symptoms aren’t taken seriously.

• 80% say Brazilian women lack adequate workplace support during menopause.

• 49% agree that menopause can limit career progression and recognition.

These numbers highlight the urgent need to demystify menopause, encouraging a broader and more empathetic understanding. Society must learn to see menopause not as an end—but as a powerful transition that deserves dignity, support, and reliable information.

How to Promote Open Conversations About Menopause

Talking about menopause still takes courage—not because it’s shameful, but because it’s long been silenced. Opening this conversation, especially in public spaces, helps break the stigma that’s reduced female maturity to decline rather than transition.

Every woman deserves to go through this phase with dignity, knowledge, and the right to be heard.

Encouraging open dialogue starts in everyday places: at work, among friends, at home, and increasingly, on digital platforms. That means naming symptoms naturally and validating women’s experiences without infantilizing or judging them.

Healthcare professionals, companies, and women in leadership play key roles here. Awareness campaigns, access to psychological support, wellness programs, and peer group discussions are real actions that educate and support.

It’s also essential that media stop portraying menopause as taboo—or worse, a joke. Columns, podcasts, interviews, and serious reporting help normalize the experience and amplify the voices of women who remain active, lucid, and evolving at 45, 50, 60, or beyond.

Talking about menopause, ultimately, is a way to affirm that maturity is not invisibility — it’s existence. And every woman deserves to go through this phase with dignity, knowledge, and the right to be heard.

How Can Men Be Part of the Conversation?

Men living with women in this phase should be invited to listen and understand that emotional and physical changes aren’t rejection, weakness, or instability.

Menopause may happen inside a woman’s body, but it affects everyone around her. Partners, children, coworkers, managers, and friends must learn to recognize this stage—not only to support women but to avoid reinforcing bias and silence.

The first step is education. Most men today still don’t understand what menopause is, what symptoms it causes, or how it impacts women’s lives. Few know that hormonal fluctuations can lead to insomnia, anxiety, joint pain, or low libido. Talking about it clearly and openly helps demystify.

In romantic relationships, conversation is the bridge. Men living with women in this phase should be invited to listen and understand that emotional and physical changes aren’t rejection, weakness, or instability—they’re part of a natural transformation. Active, nonjudgmental listening is one of the most empathetic responses they can offer.

In professional environments, male leaders must also understand that productivity and competence don’t disappear with menopause—but flexibility, respect, and support during this time are smart and human-centered leadership strategies.

Including men in the conversation builds collective awareness. It makes menopause everyone’s concern. When men join in respectfully, what’s created is a fairer, more informed, and less lonely world for women going through this stage.

How to Navigate Menopause with More Ease, Knowledge, and Autonomy

Menopause is a turning point. Like all major transitions, it requires presence, awareness, and the right tools. It’s not about resisting change—but preparing to move through this phase with grace and balance.

1. Seek professional supportStart with a gynecologist—but don’t stop there. Endocrinologists, nutritionists, therapists, psychologists, and pelvic floor physiotherapists can form a broader, more personalized care network. Treatment may include hormone replacement therapy (when recommended), dietary changes, and wellness practices.

2. Move your body regularlyPhysical activity helps ease hot flashes, anxiety, insomnia, and weight gain. Walking, light strength training, yoga, or dancing are powerful allies. Exercise also strengthens bones and the cardiovascular system—two key areas after menopause.

3. Eat with intention. Cut back on ultra-processed foods, prioritize vegetables, healthy fats, calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium to help your body adjust to hormonal changes. Reducing caffeine and alcohol in the evening also promotes better sleep.

4. Prioritize emotional self-care. Therapy can be crucial to process the internal and social changes that come with this phase. Journaling, meditation, and support groups help rebuild self-esteem and emotional identity.

5. Talk, share, normalize. Discussing menopause with other women—and with men—breaks the silence that weighs heavier than the symptoms. Creating safe spaces for conversation turns information into belonging. And belonging is healing.

Discover your next version, at your own pace. Menopause isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of a new chapter that can be clearer, stronger, and more serene. But it doesn’t have to happen all at once—or perfectly. Ease comes when care for the body and the soul walk side by side, at a rhythm that feels possible.