A Brief History of Menopause: From Myths to Modern Wellness

For something every woman experiences, menopause has long been misunderstood, mislabeled, and—until recently—mostly ignored in medical history. From ancient theories about “wandering wombs” to injecting cow ovaries in the 1800s (yes, really), the history of menopause is as fascinating as it is frustrating.

Here’s a quick journey through time to see how far we’ve come—and why today’s women finally have access to smart, science-backed wellness options that respect their bodies and their power.

Ancient Greece (c. 460–370 BCE): The Wandering Womb

The earliest medical texts acknowledged that menstruation stopped at a certain age, but menopause wasn’t recognized as a distinct life stage. Instead, Hippocrates and his peers believed many symptoms were caused by a "wandering womb"—a roaming uterus that triggered emotional and physical distress. Not exactly body-positive.

11th Century: A Glimmer of Recognition

Persian physician Avicenna described changes in menstruation with age in The Canon of Medicine. He noted shifts in mood and health post-menstruation but, again, didn’t identify menopause as its own biological process. Still, it was an early step toward recognizing the experience.

1821: Menopause Gets a Name

French physician Charles-Pierre Louis De Gardanne coined the term “ménopause”—from the Greek mens (month) and pausis (pause). For the first time, menopause was identified as a distinct physiological event. Unfortunately, it was also framed as a medical problem needing intervention.

Mid-1800s: Cow Ovaries & “Organotherapy”

With limited understanding of hormones, Victorian doctors turned to wild remedies. One popular treatment involved ingesting or injecting cow or pig ovaries, based on the belief that animal reproductive organs could “restore” lost vitality in menopausal women. Meanwhile, others prescribed leeches, sedatives, or rest cures—often diagnosing women with “hysteria.”

1966: Feminine Forever and the HRT Boom

Dr. Robert A. Wilson’s bestselling book Feminine Forever popularized the idea that menopause was a “deficiency disease” caused by falling estrogen—and that women should take estrogen indefinitely to remain youthful and “feminine.” Estrogen pills like Premarin® became widely prescribed, though the risks of hormone therapy were still poorly understood.

2002: A Turning Point in Hormone Therapy

The Women’s Health Initiative released a large-scale study showing that certain types of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were linked to increased risks of heart disease and breast cancer. The result? Millions of women reconsidered HRT, and the medical community began exploring non-hormonal and lifestyle-based solutions for menopause support.

Today: A New Era of Menopause Support

Thankfully, the stigma around menopause is finally lifting. Women are demanding better solutions—and getting them. Modern wellness brands (like Joylux) are leading a shift away from shame-based narratives and toward empowered, science-backed care that honors women’s changing bodies with dignity, education, and choice.

Menopause isn’t a problem to be fixed—it’s a natural, powerful life phase. And while history may have gotten it wrong for centuries, today we’re rewriting the story with better tools, better science, and more respect for the women living it.