Menopause Myths Debunked
UD research sheds new insights on a hot topic. Article by Artika Casini, photo illustration by Jeffrey C. Chase, portrait by Joe Center, and photo courtesy of Melissa Melby.
On October 16, 2025, it was reported that in Japan, women experience fewer menopausal symptoms, take less hormone replacement therapy, and report smoother transitions into older age than their Western counterparts.
The difference isn't genetic, it's cultural, linguistic, and medical, according to UD anthropology professor Melissa Melby, who has spent almost three decades studying the topic.
The Japanese perspective might provide a counterbalance, said Melby.
Melby began researching menopause in Japan in her late 20s, and now, at age 53, she has published her first book on the understudied and frequently misunderstood life stage, Reframing Aging: Insights from Biology and Culture of Midlife Japanese.
This book offers a collection of her work over the decades, challenging dominant Western narratives about hormones, aging, and women’s health.
Author's summary: Research debunks menopause myths.