For Priyanka (name changed), a Mumbai-based retired government employee, the period of her mid-40s was daunting. Apart from hot flashes, constant exhaustion and cranky mood, she also faced physical complications after menopause, a phase she reached at the age of 45. Coping with work, home and family became difficult. “Around menopause, there was a time when I had heavy bleeding, which lasted for the entire month. I had to get a D&C procedure done. During that time, I also got typhoid and malaria, which led to a massive weight loss,” she shares.

The definition of menopause seems fairly simple – a phase when a woman’s menstrual cycle ends and she is no longer able to reproduce. However, this nine-letter word holds implications and complications that far exceed the scope of this definition.