Menopause Around the World: How Different Cultures View Menopause

By: Holly L. Thacker, MD • Posted on September 04, 2025 • Updated September 06, 2025

Menopause around the world varies in its timing, the experience of symptoms, and cultural perception. The average age of menopause is about 49 years worldwide but it tends to be earlier in regions like Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East compared to Europe or North America. The average age of menopause in the US is 51.3 years with a broad age range of 40-60 years.

Cultural attitudes differ significantly, with some cultures viewing menopause negatively, while others see it as a positive life transition or renewal, influencing how women experience and discuss symptoms like hot flashes, which are less frequently reported in some East Asian societies.

Age of Menopause

Global Average: The mean age of natural menopause is around 48.8 years worldwide.
Regional Differences: Onset of menopause tends to be earlier in African, Latin American, Asian, and Middle Eastern countries, and later in Europe, Australia, and the US.

Cultural Perceptions and Experiences Around the World

Latin America

In some cultures, such as Brazil, menopause can be seen as a marker of aging and a negative label, with women feeling that it signals the end of their worth.

Costa Rican women have common menopause symptoms including hot flashes and night sweats, as well as an overall negative attitude toward the menopausal transition.

Japan

In contrast, Japan views menopause (konenki) as a time of rebirth and renewal, a milestone to be celebrated. Only 25-50% of Japanese women report experiencing hot flashes, a symptom so rare that they had to create a new term for it. A possible explanation is the traditional Japanese diet which is rich in soy. Soy contains isoflavones, compounds that mimic estrogen and may help reduce hot flashes.

China

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, menopause is known as the “second spring” of a woman’s life—a time of renewal and transformation.

With menopause, the body is said to redirect qi and blood to the heart, where the ‘Shen,’ or spirit, resides. This shift of energy unlocks a deeper sense of vitality, courage and creativity, allowing women to embrace the vibrancy that comes with their second spring.

India

A study discovered that many women in India are pressured to suffer their in silence because it's considered unacceptable to discuss the menopause transition with men. However, women of India do experience positive social changes, including freedom to socialize more openly with men, share jokes and drink home brew.

Arabic Speaking Cultures

The Arabic term for menopause in English translates to "the age of desperation" or "the hopeless age."

Africa

In African cultures, menopausal women are often regarded with high esteem, as this life stage is associated with greater influence and decision-making power socially and culturally.

Black women have one of the longest and toughest menopause transitions of anyone. They start having hot flashes earlier in perimenopause and twice as likely to have vasomotor symptoms compared to white women.

Views on Menopausal Hormone Therapy

Medicalization and media attention to menopause have increased globally, including in Japan, leading to new terms for menopausal symptoms and greater discussion of hormone balance.

Western vs. Eastern:

While Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is common in the West, many women in Asia, like those in China, prefer herbal remedies, acupuncture, and dietary changes, focusing on holistic well-being and energy flow.

Efforts are increasing to provide support for menopausal women, such as workplace policies in the UK that acknowledge menopause as a condition impacting employees and can be legally protected.

Be Strong, Be Healthy, Be in Charge!
Holly L. Thacker, MD

Holly L. Thacker, MD, FACP is nationally known for her leadership in women’s health. She is the founder of the Cleveland Clinic Specialized Women’s Health Fellowship and is currently the Professor and Director of the Center for Specialized Women’s Health at Cleveland Clinic and Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. Her special interests are menopause and related medical problems including osteoporosis, hormone therapy, breast cancer risk assessment, menstrual disorders, female sexual dysfunction and interdisciplinary women’s health. Dr. Thacker is the Executive Director of Speaking of Women’s Health and the author of The Cleveland Clinic Guide to Menopause.

women's health, menopause, perimenopause, hormone therapy, menopausal hormone therapy

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