Menopause Myths, Debunked
UD research sheds new insights on a hot topic.
"The Japanese perspective might provide a counterbalance,"said UD anthropology professor Melissa Melby.
Melby has spent almost three decades studying menopause in Japan, where women experience fewer menopausal symptoms and report smoother transitions into older age than their Western counterparts.
Her research suggests that the difference isn't genetic, but rather cultural, linguistic, and medical. Melby's book, Reframing Aging: Insights from Biology and Culture of Midlife Japanese, challenges dominant Western narratives about hormones, aging, and women’s health.
Author's summary: Research debunks menopause myths.
- Women in Japan experience fewer menopausal symptoms.
- They take less hormone replacement therapy.
- They report smoother transitions into older age.