Menopause Myths Debunked:โ What’s โฃReally Happening too โYour body
Paris,France – As millions of women navigate the changes of menopause,a โwave of misinformation frequently enough accompanies the physical and emotional shifts. A recent interview wiht gynecologist Thelma Linet clarifies common concerns surrounding symptoms like hot flashes, libido, and weight gain, offering a fact-based look at what to expect – andโ what isn’t necessarily inevitable.
While frequently โคenough portrayed as a singular event, menopause is โขa transition lasting roughly ten years, encompassing the โperiod three to โfour years before the cessation of menstruation and โapproximately seven years after theโ last โperiod. Though, for over 25% of women, this period can extend to a full twenty-fiveโ years, according to โLinet.
Libido & Menopause: โIt’s Complicated
The idea that libido automatically plummets with menopause is a misconception. Linet explains that hormone deficiencies can impact desire, as can accompanying symptoms like vaginal dryness andโ general exhaustion. โข”When you’re exhausted, you don’t want to anymore. menopause dose not reduce libido as such,โ but it is โฃall theโฃ little symptoms put together,” she states.beyond the physiological,Linet emphasizes the importance of addressingโ underlying relationship dynamics and societal โขperceptions of female desire,which she โคnotes are “poorly evaluated and โคoften negative in popular imagery.”
Weight โขGain: A Shift โขin Distribution, Not Just Quantity
Fears aboutโ weight gain are common,โฃ but Linetโ clarifies thatโค the period of greatest weight gain for many women โactuallyโค occurs in their โthirties. โค Menopause can contribute to weight gain, but it often manifests differently. “It will appear in areas where we are not used to seeing it, on โthe abdomen and thorax.โค Weโข really have this impression of gaining belly and breasts,” she explains, noting this can alter a woman’s silhouette and contribute to feelings of aging. Linetโข also โcautioned against fatphobia and โthe tendency to blame or shame women for weight changes, โhighlighting the “psychological โฃimpact” theseโฃ changes can have on self-esteem.
Managing Symptoms: Options Exist
despiteโฃ the possiblyโค lengthy duration of menopausal symptoms,โ Linet stressesโค thatโ there are effectiveโฃ tools available. โ”We haveโค lots of tools,โฃ with โคlots of studies on them, which work on these different symptoms which can occur when we are deficient in hormones,” she says,โ pointing to hormonal supplementation as โขa potential option toโ discuss with a healthcare provider.
Ultimately, Linetโฃ advocates for informed self-advocacy. Understanding the realities of menopause – and separating fact from fiction – is crucial for โขwomen to navigate this lifeโ stage and make informed decisions about their health and well-being. Herโ book,”Menopause,ifโฃ I want” (Albinโ Michel),offersโค further insight into the topic.
