Menopause and Climate Change: Confronting Structural Sexism

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Juliana Ribeiro, a fourth-year Brazilian medical student . She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

In 2024, the global average temperature reached the critical mark of 1.6°C above pre-industrial levels, temporarily exceeding the Paris Agreement limit and signaling a “red code” for the planet. This warming is not just a meteorological phenomenon; it acts as a potent risk multiplier for gender-based health disparities. Women face a disproportionate burden of climate impacts due to biological, socioeconomic, and cultural factors, being physiologically more vulnerable to thermal extremes, especially during pregnancy and the aging process.

The climate crisis dramatically intensifies this scenario. Studies indicate that extreme temperature variations aggravate vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats, impairing quality of life and mental health. In addition, extreme heat is associated with increased incidence and mortality from breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers. For pregnant women, the elevated thermal risk increases the chances of premature births and neonatal complications.

This vulnerability is exacerbated by a structural culture in Medicine, where gynecological science has historically been dominated by men and patriarchal values ​​for centuries. Historically, the female body has been reduced to an object for reproduction, resulting in research that excessively prioritizes the fetus and childbirth itself to the detriment of the woman’s overall well-being. Crucial topics such as the menstrual cycle and menopause remain marginalized in both research and clinical practice.

This bias is reflected in a serious scenario of underdiagnosis. Research indicates that one in three Brazilian women experiences menopause without a formal medical diagnosis. Often, symptoms are invalidated by health professionals, labeled as “stress” or “exaggeration,” the result of a gap in academic training that neglects endocrine gynecology. We cannot forget the formal recognition of the concept of hysteria in women who did not have diagnoses explained by science or religion, contributing to the pathologization of female behavior, but not to scientific knowledge about their physiology. In Brazil, although 30 million women are in the menopausal age range, only about 238,000 have been diagnosed by the Unified Health System (SUS).

Given this, the next generation of health professionals must break with this “legal-hormonal” and clinical agnosticism, which ignores female biology. It is imperative to apply a “climate lens” to clinical practice, identifying vulnerable patients and integrating environmental education into care plans. We must advocate for public policies that guarantee access to hormonal therapies and multidisciplinary treatments, recognizing that caring for women in menopause amidst a climate crisis is protecting not only the family and social nucleus, but also all of humanity. The future of health requires an active stance in the decarbonization of the sector and qualified listening that validates the female experience on a planet in transformation.

About the author

Juliana Ribeiro is a fourth-year Brazilian medical student with experience in academic research and participation in scientific projects, including epidemiological studies on diverse health-related areas such as: injuries, poisonings and external causes, work-related pneumoconiosis, decompressive craniotomy, access to and retention in medical education, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, and substance use among medical students. She is involved in student initiatives and collaborations focused on medical education and global health. She is the author of the article “Menopause and Climate Change: Confronting Structural Sexism,” which addresses intersections between health and contemporary social factors.