Menopause Doesn't Play Fair, And It's Not Just About Hot Flashes
"No one warned me," says Noor Al-Humaidhi, MD, a lifestyle medicine doctor based in Exeter, New Hampshire. "My mother had classic hot flashes. But me? I was drowning in fatigue, brain fog, and a strange emptiness I couldn't name."
Al-Humaidhi's experience mirrors that of many Middle Eastern women: they are often overlooked, misdiagnosed, and misunderstood. Why? Because the menopause conversation—when it exists at all—is outdated, under-researched, and underfunded across much of the region.
The Narrative Is Changing—Finally
In 2021, TENA and the UN Population Fund launched a campaign to rebrand menopause in the Arab world. The result? The Age of Renewal. The phrase now appears in the popular Al Maany dictionary. It has inspired cultural icons like Egyptian actress Shereen Reda, journalist Fadia Al-Taweel, and Tunisian singer Ghalia Benali to speak out. Benali even released a fierce anthem called "Despair No More."
Most recently, Dr. Al-Humaidhi attended the 2024 Menopause Summit in Doha, Qatar, demonstrating that the region is awakening.
The Medical Reality: Limited Options, High Stakes
Despite growing awareness, access to proper care remains dismal. Al-Humaidhi receives Instagram messages daily from women across the Middle East begging for help. Why? Because in places like Kuwait—even with wealth and modern infrastructure—there's only one oral estradiol pill on the market. Transdermal estrogen? Bioidentical progesterone? Nonexistent.
"It's not possible to obtain any transdermal or oral micronized progesterone in Kuwait," Al-Humaidhi says bluntly. "It's not on the formulary."
That lack of access puts millions of women at risk—not just for hot flashes and sleepless nights, but for long-term health crises like osteoporosis and metabolic disorders.