By Jaime Moretti
Dare I Say It is a daring, witty and heartfelt testament to the trials and tribulations of womanhood across the lifespan and the injustices in Women’s Health. Naomi Watts’ put so much care and thought into this book with her inclusion of perspectives from health professionals, friends, other women in mid-life as well as her own. I really enjoyed that the writing was almost conversational so was easy to understand and had me flying through the pages.
I started this book knowing only that menopause was simply when periods became no more (how glorious!). Little did I know, it’s much much more…
The symptoms of menopause encompass changes that include not only the gradual reduction in egg production and hot flushes, but also the texture of your skin and hair, the functioning of vaginal muscles, frequent UTIs, decreased libido, weight gain, facial hair, hair loss, disrupted sleep, weakened joints and mental health – just to name a few. For a lot of women, these symptoms cause an awful lot of suffering both mentally and physically.
It baffles me that for years not only has this area of women’s health (and let’s be real, all of women’s health) been untouched by research, women have continued to suffer in silence or are outright ignored by practitioners.
As a woman who experienced debilitating periods for most of my life and am only recently being taken seriously by doctors, this quote really hit home: “With men, no one seems to ask them … Are you suffering with that to justify the treatment?”
Many women experience a great deal of discomfort, shame and loneliness during this time due to the stigma that still remains embedded in society. Naomi shares how at thirty-six when combatting infertility issues to conceive her two children, she discovered she was nearing menopause. When she had tried to share this with friends: “the admission was often met with nervous laughter or “Oh, don’t be silly. This is far too early for menopause”. Confirmation that my body had failed. The shame deepened.”
How absolutely heartbreaking is that?! A true reflection of the values of a patriarchal society – that a woman’s value is as a wife, as a mother, not as a person.
Naomi has since become an influential figurehead for smashing down the stigmatisation around menopause, encouraging women to advocate for their health when doctors tell them to ‘suck it up’, to take this time of their lives to truly flourish!
She brings to light that older adulthood is something to look forward to! Women should embrace that time of their lives by focusing on their careers, female friendship, staying healthy and feeling good in their own skin.
Naomi taught me many lessons, not just about menopause, but what it really is to be a kickass woman who advocates for and prioritizes herself. Dare I Say It not a book I will soon forget
