Menopause at Work: What Malaysian Women Are Really Going Through

The Malaysian Woman at Midlife

When Aishah turned 47, she began waking up every night in a sweat. But it wasn’t the hot flushes that bothered her most, it was the aching in her joints, the fogginess in her mind, and the creeping anxiety she couldn’t explain. A successful executive, she found herself forgetting meetings, snapping at colleagues, and lying awake long after midnight.

Across town, Mei Ling, 52, was battling a different set of symptoms, persistent bloating, mood swings, and an overwhelming sense of fatigue. She didn’t tell anyone. “This must be part of ageing,” she told herself, as she cancelled another dinner plan and lay curled up on

the couch.

And then there’s Kavitha, 55, whose complaints of vaginal dryness and urinary infections made her feel embarrassed, even ashamed. Her doctor dismissed her symptoms as “normal” for her age. “Just bear with it,” she was told.

For far too long, stories like theirs have been whispered, brushed aside, or lost entirely. And this needs to be changed

A First-of-Its-Kind Study

In June 2025, Climacteric published the first comprehensive study on menopausal symptoms among working women in Malaysia. It was a milestone, finally, data from our own backyard.

The study surveyed 1,825 women aged 40–60 from across the country’s multiethnic population; Malay, Chinese, Indian, and others. These weren’t just women in clinics; they were professionals, teachers, factory workers, and business owners. Using a detailed symptom checklist adapted from the Menopause Rating Scale, the study asked them: what are you really experiencing?

The answers were striking. Generalised joint pain topped the list. Yes, joint pain, not hot flushes. Followed by sleep disturbances, brain fog, mood swings, and digestive complaints. Many women reported a confusing mix of symptoms they had never linked to menopause.

Ethnicity matters.

Interestingly, Indian women were nearly three times more likely than Chinese women to report four or more symptoms. Malay women also showed higher symptom burden, often led by fatigue. And unlike what we see in Western data, vasomotor symptoms like hot flushes and night sweats were less common in Malaysian women, appearing in only about 1 in 5 respondents.

Age Matters. So Does Income.

The study also uncovered how menopausal symptoms change with age:

• Women in their late 40s were more likely to report mood changes, fatigue, and digestive issues.

• In their early 50s, hot flushes, night sweats, and brain fog became more common.

• And in their mid-to-late 50s, complaints of joint pain, vaginal dryness, and urinary symptoms rose sharply.

Income played a role, too. Women in higher income brackets were 1.64 times more likely to report multiple symptoms, possibly due to higher stress levels or simply greater awareness. Those in lower-income groups often described a general sense of “feeling unwell,” unable to articulate the constellation of changes they were going through.

Why This Matters?

At first glance, these symptoms may seem like a health inconvenience. But they have real-world consequences. Malaysia’s female labour force participation drops dramatically; from 69% in women aged 40–44 to just 34% in those aged 55–59. That’s exactly the age range when these symptoms hit hardest.

In the U.S., the estimated annual cost of lost productivity from untreated menopausal symptoms is a staggering USD $1.8 billion. Malaysia has yet to run those numbers; but the implication is clear: we are losing talented, experienced women at the peak of their careers.

What Next?

Of course, the study had limitations. As an online survey, it may have excluded women without internet access, especially in rural areas. It didn’t confirm menopausal status through clinical tests. And the snowball recruitment may have skewed the sample. But it’s a crucial first step.

What we now need are longitudinal studies. We need to include underrepresented groups.

We need to understand why Indian women report more symptoms. We need to explore how culture, biology, and stress intersect in shaping menopause.

And most importantly, we need action.

From Awareness to Advocacy

Menopause is not a private problem. It’s a public health issue. It’s an economic issue. It’s a

gender equity issue. This study gives us data. Now, we must build dialogue. We must train our healthcare system, reform workplace policies, and ensure every woman, from the boardroom to the classroom to the village. Every woman needs to have access to information, support, and care.

Because menopause isn’t the end of a woman’s story. For many, it’s just the beginning of a

new chapter. And for Malaysia, the time to start listening, and responding, is now.

Dr. Premitha Damodaran is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur, President of the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Academy of Medicine Malaysia, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Menopause Society