The menopause has historically been seen by society as a negative event, thus encouraging the stigma that is associated with it today. Awareness of the menopause can be traced back to ancient Greece, with Aristotle describing the age between which women stopped having menstrual discharge and losing the ability to bear children.1 Other than these early references, it was ignored by science and society until the 18th century, with references being scarce. The reason for this is attributed to the fact that women did not survive long enough for menopause to be a matter for consideration, tending to survive until only 35 due to childbirth.2,3
Only three species of mammals live into their post-reproductive years: humans, and two types of whales.3 An evolutionary reason for menopause has been postulated – the ‘Grandmother Theory’ – where there is an evolutionary advantage to females surviving…
