Hello. This is 6 Minute English
from BBC Learning English.
I'm Sam.
And I'm Georgina.
Something that affects almost every
woman at some point in her life is
the menopause. The menopause is
a natural part of ageing that happens
as a woman's hormones decline and
she stops having monthly periods
and being able to get
pregnant naturally.
With the menopause comes physical
signs. These vary from person to
person and often include hot flushes,
mood swings and night sweats.
But besides these there may be
other changes too and living
through it can be isolating,
both personally and
professionally.
In many societies the menopause
is still taboo - not talked about
in public for social or religious
reasons, or because people
are uncomfortable discussing it.
But recently high-profile women
like former First Lady, Michelle
Obama, have started speaking up.
In this programme, we'll be
hearing from two other women
trying to make the menopause
more visible in society -
and, of course, we'll be
learning some related vocabulary
as well. But first let me ask
you my quiz question, Georgina.
As we mentioned, the menopause
is part of the natural ageing
process and usually occurs
between the ages of 45 and 55.
But what is the average age
for a woman to reach the
menopause in Britain?
Is it: a) 49?, b) 51?
or c) 53?
I'll jump in the middle
and say 51 years old.
OK, Georgina, we'll find out
the answer later in the programme.
Since the menopause is a normal
and natural part of life it's
surprising how little it's talked
about. Dr Nighat Arif is a
British Pakistani family doctor
specialising in women's
health. According to her,
the silence around the
subject is because menopause
is about getting old,
something no one wants
to be reminded of.
Here is Dr Arif explaining
more to BBC World Service
programme, The Conversation:
Historically, particularly when
it comes to women, the older you
are you're surplus to excess
now, that's it, you've done
your dues, you've had your
children, your use isn't
needed anymore in society - but
actually women are not like
that at all, women are far
more becoming productive in
the career and workspace and
they are the caregivers,
sometimes they are actually
the financial providers
in their home setting as well.
In many cultures, the traditional
role of women is to have
children. Dr Arif says that
after doing this, women may
be considered to have
done - or paid - their dues - an
expression meaning to do
everything you are expected
to do, or to have done your duty.
After raising children, women
are sometimes thought to be
surplus to excess, something
which is more than needed, or
in other words, surplus to
requirements - a phrase
meaning 'no longer required'.
Of course, this isn't true
for all women everywhere,
but it is surprising how
unequal men and women's
experience of getting older
can be. Barbara Hannah
Grufferman, is an American
writer who publishes a regular
newsletter, 'The Menopause
Cheat Sheet', which focuses
on healthy ageing.
Here she is speaking with BBC
World Service Programme,
The Conversation:
One of the biggest
complications, I think, is ageism.
So, if women are entering that
age range, 45 and over,
they're already possibly
feeling the effects of ageism,
you know, pointing in their
direction. And then when
they add on this layer of
having these physical symptoms
that can impact how they're
functioning at work and even
at home - it's a double whammy.
For Barbara Hannah Grufferman,
one of the biggest barriers
women face is ageism - the
unfair treatment of older
people because of their age.
Just as racism and sexism
discriminate against people
because of their race or
gender, ageism values older
people less than the young.
As we mentioned before, the
menopause brings physical
signs such as hot flushes
or night sweats. These
signs are known as symptoms -
things wrong with your body
or mind that are signs of
some illness or bodily process.
So menopausal women suffer
physical symptoms, as well
as possibly dealing with
discrimination based on
their age. Barbara Hannah
Grufferman calls this a double
whammy - an informal way
to describe a situation where
two unpleasant things happen
at the same time.
The menopause can be a
difficult time in a woman's life.
But with age comes wisdom and
experience and in more and
more societies around the
world the menopause is
being talked about more openly.
Speaking of which, what
was the answer to
your question, Sam?
In my quiz question I
asked about the average
age for British women
to reach menopause.
I said it was c) 51.
Which was... the correct
answer! Although for some
women menopause can start
as early as in their 40s.
OK, let's recap the
vocabulary from this programme
starting with taboo - something
which is forbidden for social
or religious reasons.
To pay your dues means
to do your duty.
Surplus to requirements
means to be no longer needed.
Ageism is the unfair treatment
of older people because
of their age.
Symptom is a sign of illness.
And finally, a double whammy
is a situation where two
unpleasant things happen at once.
That's all from us, but we
hope to see you again soon.
Bye for now!
Goodbye!