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Menopause Myths Busted

The menopause transition can be a confusing time full of changes. Amid all the gossip and hearsay flying around, it’s important to separate myth from fact. Some myths have persisted for years because society is only recently shaking the notion that menopause is a taboo topic. While some symptoms and experiences are common, each woman has a menopause transition unique to her, so it’s also important to not let generalizations be seen as cold, hard facts. Get the truth behind the most rampant menopause myths.

menopause myths busted

MYTH: Menopause is the end of a woman’s sex life

FACT: Women can and do have active sex lives after menopause

From hormonal imbalance to stressful life events, many factors influence a woman’s libido at any given moment. However, the changes that occur during menopause do not mean a woman is no longer physically capable of having sex. Low libido and pain during sex may complicate the matter, but there are solutions for these common menopausal problems. Some women even feel more sexually liberated after menopause.

MYTH: Weight gain is unavoidable during menopause

FACT: Weight loss is possible and recommended

Women often gain weight during menopause due to changes in metabolism and hormone levels. Despite this, weight gain is not inevitable. As metabolism changes, it’s often necessary to consume fewer calories each day. Exercising for a total of at least 150 minutes a week can also help stave off weight gain, and by extension, its potential consequences, like type 2 diabetes.

MYTH: Once the menopause symptoms begin, a woman can no longer get pregnant

FACT: A woman can still get pregnant even if she has irregular periods

Irregular periods are a telltale sign of perimenopause, the stage leading up to menopause. Even though it’s much harder to fall pregnant when menstruation and ovulation are unpredictable, it is still possible. A woman is not concerned postmenopausal until she has gone 12 consecutive months without a period. After that, she will be unable to get pregnant.

MYTH: The female body no longer produces hormones after menopause

FACT: The body produces low levels of hormones

After menopause, a woman’s body still produces estrogen and progesterone, but at significantly lower levels. This production is more even than during perimenopause. Follicle stimulating hormone levels are actually much higher during postmenopause than during a woman’s reproductive years.

MYTH: Hormone replacement therapy is the only way to treat menopause symptoms

FACT: Macafem is a natural supplement that relieves menopause symptoms

Macafem is an herbal supplement that relieves menopause symptoms by balancing hormone levels. Unlike hormone replacement therapy, Macafem is free of potential side effects. It works by nourishing the hormonal glands with essential nutrients and unique alkaloids. This allows the glands to produce the different hormones the body needs at balanced levels. Healthy lifestyle modifications – like regular exercise and quitting smoking – are also recommended alongside Macafem to alleviate menopause symptoms. Find out more about Macafem through these customer testimonials.

Menopause can be a confusing time with all the conflicting information coming from every direction. Women should feel unafraid to speak about menopause with their doctors, friends, and family. Together, we can dispel the myths surrounding menopause.

National Institute on Aging. (2015). An Introduction to Menopause. Retrieved May 17, 2016, from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/menopause-time-change/introduction-menopause
National Institute on Aging. (2015). Signs of the Menopausal Transition. Retrieved May 17, 2016, from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/menopause-time-change/signs-menopausal-transition
Office on Women's Health. (2012). Menopause and menopause treatments fact sheet. Retrieved May 17, 2016, from http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/menopause-treatment.html
Simkin-Silverman, L.R. & Wing, R.R. (2000). Weight gain during menopause. Is it inevitable or can it be prevented? Postgraduate Medicine, 108(3), 47-50, 53-56. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11004935