Menopause myths: Still believed by Indian women, busted by two experts

The India Today Woman Summit 2026 had leading doctors say awareness is finally catching up on a condition Indian women have endured silently for generationsCredits: Chandradeep KumarMenopause is having a moment in India, but so is the misinformation around it. At the India Today Woman Summit 2026 in New Delhi, the panel of Dr Anita Gupta, associate director, obstetrics & gynaecology, Fortis La Femme; and Dr Ambrish Mithal, group chairman & head, endocrinology and diabetes, Max Healthcare, pushed back on the idea that menopause itself is changing, arguing instead that awareness is finally catching up on a condition Indian women have silently endured for generations.“Menopause hasn’t changed; it was always there but we were just not aware of it,” said Dr Gupta during the session ‘Menopause matters: The silent health crisis’, noting that urban stress, poor diet and lack of physical activity amplify symptoms without shifting the age of onset, which remains largely genetic. She placed India’s average menopause age at 47, with regional variation from the northwest to the northeast.Dr Mithal broadened the conversation beyond hot flashes to the metabolic fallout of menopause: rising visceral fat, insulin resistance, diabetes risk and a sharp uptick in cardiovascular disease once estrogen’s protective effect disappears. He was equally direct on bone health, warning that women lose close to 10 per cent of bone mass in the five years around menopause.On hormone replacement therapy (HRT), long viewed with suspicion after the 2001 Women’s Health Initiative study, Mithal said newer research and transdermal preparations have overturned old fears. However, he cautioned that HRT is not risk-free for everyone. “If it sounds so good, why isn’t everyone on HRT? Well, it’s not all that great,” he said, stressing that age, timing after menopause and personal risk factors like breast cancer or clotting history play a role. Dr Gupta added that rising awareness has meant more women now consult doctors before symptoms escalate. “I get so many women who come and ask me,” she said, cautioning patients against relying on unverified information online.Both doctors agreed that annual health check-ups from age 45, covering bone density, cardiac risk and cancer screening, are essential, and that vaginal health and sexual wellbeing deserve far more open discussion than they currently receive.KEY TAKEAWAYSDr Anita Gupta“Menopause hasn’t changed; it was always there but we were just not aware of it.“There’s a lot of stress for women balancing family and their profession.”“I get so many women who come and ask me: doc, menopause.”Dr Ambrish Mithal“If it sounds so good, why isn’t everyone on hormone replacement therapy? Well, it’s not all that great.”"Everything that happens with age, if it is impacting your quality of life or longevity, can and should be addressed.”“The typical average age of menopause in India is 47.”Subscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsPublished By: Akshita JollyPublished On: Aug 26, 2026 18:37 IST