India, Sept. 16 -- These are not isolated experiences. Research across Indian settings consistently documents heavy and painful bleeding, sleepless nights, mood swings, joint pain, and profound fatigue

as the most commonly reported menopausal symptoms. Yet most women go through this alone, with no clinical support. Beyond diagnosis and medication, there is also a need for establishing a holistic care protocol which includes mental health counselling. A study from Haryana found that women's dominant desire during menopause was "to be understood rather than to be treated" (Singh C Sivakami, 2020). The health system, where it engages at all, has not been meeting even that basic ask.

Research has estimated the average age at menopause in In...