“Men'' comes from the word “menses”. This is derived from the Latin word for “monthly” and is related to the Greek word for the moon.
When a person with a uterus stops their monthly cycle due to their ovaries no longer functioning for reproduction, this word means that bleeding no longer happens.
Yes, it makes linguistic sense.
BUT many things can cause the monthly bleed to not happen: birth control pills, stress, surgery and of course pregnancy.
Menopause is specific to aging though.
It is a specific event in a person’s life that can cause distress, aging, loss of vitality, discomfort, and an increased risk of other diseases (heart, bones, brain).
It’s not just a pause, it’s a transition, a loss, an adjustment.
But it doesn’t HAVE to be something to be endured.
Western medicine (allopathic and osteopathic) was “created” by men and dismissed the beauty and magic of the ’female’ reproductive system.
It was easy for them to call it “menopause” and leave it at that.
You no longer are fertile so why bother with it.
It’s “natural”, yes, but we can live for another 30-50 years, so why do we just accept this?
I’m not saying hormone replacement is the answer- it’s not for all people for different reasons (there are risks that we want to avoid). But most women just accept this change without question.
I am questioning cultural assumptions around aging, the medical fears around supporting women specifically, and desiring to empower people with knowledge so that WE can make better decisions for ourselves.
I will be holding “live” talks soon around sexuality, aging and how to best support our bodies through this time in our life.
Much love and blessings,
Evalene
Feel free to reach out to me, I would love to keep in touch via Instagram @SexMedDoc and @MakeTimeForTheTalk and via Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/evelindacker/
Comments