Mature Women - the Options

From Philippine News - Manila Standard Today:

The symptoms are so well known they have been turned into jokes. Mood swings. Bouts of depression. Lack of interest in, even aversion to, intimacy. Grumpiness. If a woman in her 40s or 50s is exhibiting these, there is no other explanation—she must be menopausal.

The sad part is that it’s not really a joke. It’s a harsh reality women of a certain age go through, albeit in varying degrees. The heartbreaking part is that at one time or another, these women will be those dear to us: mothers, sisters, wives, aunts, colleagues, friends. Worse, the symptoms that are the subject of jokes are just some of the less serious effects of menopause. Aside from these more superficial symptoms, menopausal women are more vulnerable to osteoporosis, cardio-vascular diseases, uro-genital disorders—a poor quality of life, overall.

Dr. Joan Tan-Garcia, who holds clinic at the women’s health center of the St. Luke’s Hospital and sits as president of the Philippine Society of Climacteric Medicine, says the support given to women in this stage should be holistic. She takes pride in the hospital’s having the only active menopause clinic in the country—active in terms of providing information to as many women as possible. The hospital conducts a free lay forum every several months where experts speak on various aspects of menopause in an effort to help “maturing” women grow old gracefully and maintain a good quality of life.