Menopausal experiences of Thai women. Part 2: The cultural context

This paper describes the cultural context of middle-aged Thai women who took part in a survey of symptoms and attitudes to menopause. The women lived in Nonthaburi province, adjacent to Bangkok, which has undergone a transition from rural to urban. Household structure often includes three generations. There have been changing opportunities for women in areas of education, occupation and family size and women's power increases with age. Thai women perceive menstruation as an indicator of health and take special care during menstruation. There is a special idiom in Thai 'leod cha pai-lom cha ma' (the blood will go--the wind will come) used to describe changes in a woman's behaviour, emotions and well-being during the menopause. These changes are expected to happen occasionally, not in every woman. Some women looked forward to menopause, while others were found to be ambivalent towards it.