World Menopause Day
Menopause is not a disease. It is also not silence. India has 100 million women in or past menopause and almost no resources for them.
Every Indian woman who lives long enough goes through menopause. The transition lasts 7–14 years. It affects sleep, mood, cardiovascular risk, bone density, joint pain, brain fog, and sexual health. Indian healthcare treats it as "old age, nothing to do" — yet menopausal hormone therapy, exercise prescriptions, and screening cadences materially change outcomes for the next 30+ years of a woman's life. We close that gap.
What the week ships
34-symptom tracker
In-Care daily log covering the menopause symptom spectrum — far beyond hot flashes. Patterns surface across 60 days.
MHT decision aid
A 5-step in-Care flow on hormone therapy: who it helps, who shouldn't, what the real risks are, how to talk to a doctor.
Bone + heart reminders
For users 40+, scheduled reminders for DEXA scan (bone density), lipid panel, BP — the silent things menopause changes.
Menopause-trained clinicians
Verified directory — most gynaecs in India did not train in modern menopause management. We filter for the ones who did.
The week
- Oct 14Open
34-symptom tracker live. WhatsApp daily card opens.
- Oct 16MHT day
Decision aid drops. Sakhi takeover by a menopause-trained gynaec.
- Oct 18WMD
Doodle takeover. Compilation of submitted women's menopause stories.
- Oct 20Close
Sakhi AMA — gynaecologist + endocrinologist + cardiologist together.
Common questions
What is HRT (or MHT)?
Menopausal Hormone Therapy — usually oestrogen, often combined with progesterone for women with a uterus — replaces what the ovaries stop making. Modern MHT, started within 10 years of menopause for symptomatic women without contraindications, has strong benefits for hot flashes, sleep, bone, and quality of life. Risks are individual; a menopause-trained clinician will weigh them with you.
When does menopause actually start?
Menopause = 12 months without a period. The average age in India is ~46–47 (a few years younger than Western data). Perimenopause — the 7–14 year transition — often starts in the early-to-mid 40s. Cycles shorten, lengthen, skip; symptoms come and go.
How do I get through hot flashes?
Layered clothing, avoiding triggers (alcohol, spicy food, hot drinks), cooling pillows, paced breathing in the first 30 seconds. MHT is the most effective treatment. Non-hormonal options (SSRIs, gabapentin, clonidine) help when MHT is not an option. Talk to a clinician.
I cannot sleep through the night any more. Is this menopause?
Very likely. Night sweats and falling oestrogen disrupt sleep architecture. Address night sweats (MHT if appropriate), build sleep hygiene (cool room, regular schedule, no screens late), check for sleep apnoea — which rises sharply post-menopause and is under-diagnosed in women.
When should I see a doctor?
If symptoms affect daily life, work, or relationships. If bleeding returns after 12 months without a period (always — this needs urgent assessment). If you are weighing MHT, book a menopause-trained clinician through /care/care-team — a general gynaec may not have current MHT training.
My GP told me to "just get used to it." A SHELY-listed menopause-trained gynaec changed my life in two appointments. Eight weeks on MHT and I sleep through the night again. I am 49 and back.
Keep going
This campaign is one nudge. Here's where it leads on SHELY.
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