Stigma and taboo surround menopause, limiting treatment and leaving women feeling unsupported
Menopause is often surrounded by stigma and taboo in many cultures in the MENA region, leading to a lack of open discussion and education about the topic. Women may feel embarrassed or ashamed to talk about their symptoms or seek help, which can result in delayed diagnosis and management of menopausal symptoms. Addressing these challenges necessitates culturally sensitive education, improved access to healthcare services, and empowering women to seek support for their menopausal experiences.
“Many studies report on menopause from a biomedical perspective, with most undertaken in Western, high-income countries. In the medicalization of menopause, symptoms are considered health concerns requiring medical intervention. However, menopause can also be viewed as a sociocultural construct, with symptoms considered a part of the aging process concomitant with psychosocial factors and a woman’s life stage circumstances. In low-income and lower-to-upper-middle-income countries in Africa, the Middle East, and South America, studies report experiences of menopause are influenced by social structure, spiritual beliefs, cultural customs and language. While women experienced similar symptoms across this myriad of contexts, some were unprepared for menopause.”
“In the Arab culture, menopause is often characterized by a social stigma among most women because it signifies the end of reproduction and hence is referred to as the ‘age of desperation’... This notion results in a major limitation in regard to using MHT to treat menopausal symptoms, thereby making it extremely challenging for physicians to control these symptoms because of the limited effectiveness of alternative nonhormonal options.”
Economic Impact
“Women of menopausal age account for the fastest growth in the workforce – and they are staying in employment more than ever before. Typically at the peak of their careers, these women are highly experienced, skilled and considered role models to more junior staff members. At the same time, however, women in this age group frequently lack the support needed to manage menopausal symptoms, leading many to reduce their responsibilities at work or leave the workplace entirely.”
- “The world population of menopausal and postmenopausal women—which doesn’t include those in perimenopause—is expected to reach 1.2 billion by 2030, with 47 million new entrants each year, according to the National Institutes of Health.”
- “The U.S. economy is losing $26.6 billion a year due to lost productivity and health expenses resulting from employees who are managing menopause symptoms, according to a new report.”
- “In the UK alone, 14 million working days are estimated to be lost each year due to menopause and perimenopause, with 1 in 10 women experiencing menopausal symptoms having left their role in 2022. As well as a loss of talent in the labour market, there are also unexpected costs to individual employers. Statistical work conducted by Oxford Economics, for instance, suggests that the cost of replacing a woman who stops working as a result of difficult menopausal symptoms is more than £30,000.”
Iameno’s Solution
IAMENO is an end-to-end hormonal health management platform leveraging AI to provide daily step-by-step personalized guidance and action plans to women going through hormonal changes impacting their physical, emotional and cognitive health. Their mission is to create a new generation of women who are smarter about their health.
The platform assesses hormonal health, provides personalized programs and curated evidence-based content, tracks hormonal health data, and connects users to well-being coaches and doctors when needed. Additionally, users can join a community for support and receive relevant education.
Iameno was awarded sponsorship through Guidea’s Femovate program for ‘23-’24.
As part of the Femovate sponsorship, designers at Guidea worked closely with Iameno founder, Farah Dehmouni, to design the initial user experience of the product.
For more information about Iameno, visit www.iameno.net and follow them on LinkedIn
For more information on Femovate visit www.femovate.com and follow us on LinkedIn
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