As far back as the 1970s American anthropologist Marcha Flint studied communities in Rajasthan in India, where women saw old age very differently. They told her it was a good thing, giving them a new social standing in their communities and more equality with men. Flint described negative American attitudes to menopause, in contrast, as a “syndrome.” When menopause is seen as a curse rather than a blessing, women feel naturally less happy about it and also seem to report more symptoms.
