Menopause Female Reproductive Senescence from the Viewpoint of Evolutionary Anthropology

Abstract

Female reproductive senescence is characterized by the so-called menopausal transition taking place between the ages of 40 and 60 years. The major event of menopausal transition is menopause itself, which is biomedically deined as the cessation of menstrual function and the irreversible termination of female reproductive capability. Recent human females experience a postreproductive period from about 30 years. Such a long postreproductive period is absolutely uncommon among animals. Consequently, human menopause is still an evolutionary puzzle and several theories to explain the evolutionary basis of menopause have been presented. Menopausal transition, however, is also seen as a period of increased somatic and psychic symptoms which make this phase of life quite uncomfortable for afected women. In the present study, menopause and climacteric complaints are discussed from the viewpoint of evolutionary anthropology.

Early Menopause: Reproductive Adaptation of Javanese Women in Oransbari Distric West Papua

“…Assessment of age at menopause is important because several studies reveal a high risk of morbidity and mortality in women due to fluctuations and decreases in estrogen and progesterone hormones. Early menopause can cause several osteoporosisrelated diseases and cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, stroke, and coronary heart disease, while late menopause is associated with endometrial and breast cancer (Kirchengast 2017;Nisar et al 2012;Zhu et al 2019). Decreased function of the estrogen also causes physiological and psychological changes that triggered adverse effects on women's life quality which was expressed by a decrease in mental health capacities such as irritability, anger, stress, and depression (Du et al 2020).…”