Karnataka is preparing a women’s health policy focused on menstrual and midlife healthcare. The proposed Ruthu Thare initiative will include menopause education, screening program, specialized clinics, lifestyle counselling and door-to-door outreach by Accredited Social Health Activists.
Could Karnataka’s proposed policy change how millions of women understand and manage menopause?
The Karnataka government is preparing to introduce Ruthu Thare, a comprehensive women’s health initiative focused on menstrual health, perimenopause and menopause.
Health and Family Welfare Minister UT Khader announced the proposal at a meeting titled “Healthy Menopause, Healthy Women, Healthy Families” in Bengaluru. The initiative has been described by the state government as India’s first dedicated women’s health policy with a specific focus on menopause.
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Ruthu Thare To Bring Menopause into Public Healthcare
The proposed policy aims to improve awareness, encourage early identification of health concerns and make appropriate care more accessible to women before, during and after menopause.
Its proposed measures include:
- Public education about menstruation, perimenopause and menopause
- A dedicated menopause screening program
- District-level breast and bone health screening
- Nutrition and lifestyle counselling
- Midlife women’s health clinics across Karnataka
- Community data collection and referrals for medical care
The government has constituted a committee to prepare scientific guidelines for the policy. It is headed by Dr Jyotsna Mirlay, a consultant gynecologist specializing in menopause and midlife women’s health.
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ASHA Workers To Lead Community Outreach
Accredited Social Health Activists, commonly known as ASHA workers, will be trained to educate women about perimenopause, menopause, post-menopausal health, nutrition, lifestyle changes and self-care.
Over the next six months, they are expected to conduct door-to-door visits, collect information about women’s health and identify those who may require medical attention.
This community-based approach could help reach women who lack information about menopause or face financial, geographical and social barriers to seeking care.
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What Are Perimenopause and Menopause?
Perimenopause is the transitional period during which ovarian hormone levels begin to fluctuate and menstrual cycles may become irregular. It can begin several years before a woman’s final menstrual period.
Menopause is reached after a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without menstruation when no other medical or physiological cause explains the absence of periods. It usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, although it can happen earlier because of natural ovarian changes, surgery or certain medical treatments.
Post-menopause refers to the years following menopause. Women may continue to experience symptoms during this stage, while declining estrogen levels can influence their bones, cardiovascular system and genitourinary health.()
Menopause Symptoms Vary Widely
Menopause is a natural biological transition, but symptoms can significantly affect daily life. Common experiences include irregular periods, hot flushes, night sweats, sleep problems, mood changes, poor concentration, joint pain, vaginal dryness and urinary difficulties.
Symptoms vary widely. Women whose health or quality of life is affected should seek medical advice rather than dismissing them as an unavoidable part of ageing.()
Menopause Can Affect Long-Term Bone and Heart Health
The decline in estrogen associated with menopause can accelerate bone-density loss, increasing the likelihood of osteoporosis and fractures. This makes nutrition, physical activity, risk assessment and appropriate bone screening especially important during midlife.
Body composition, cholesterol, blood pressure and cardiovascular risk may also change after menopause. The World Health Organization notes that women’s relative cardiovascular advantage over men gradually diminishes following the decline in estrogen.
Women experiencing menopause before age 45 may require additional medical assessment because earlier loss of ovarian hormones is associated with greater long-term risks to bone and cardiovascular health.
Menopause Care Must Be Personalized
Treatment depends on a woman’s symptoms, medical history, age, risk factors and preferences.
Hormone replacement therapy can relieve symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, sleep problems, mood changes and vaginal dryness. It can also help prevent osteoporosis in appropriate patients. However, its benefits and risks should be assessed individually with a qualified healthcare professional.
Non-hormonal medicines and symptom-specific treatments may be suitable for women who cannot or do not wish to use hormonal therapy. Regular exercise, balanced nutrition, adequate calcium and vitamin D, smoking cessation, sleep support and limiting known hot-flush triggers may also help.
Any vaginal bleeding occurring after menopause should be medically evaluated rather than assumed to be a normal menopausal symptom.
Actress Ramya To Promote Menopause Awareness Across Karnataka
Actor and former Member of Parliament Ramya, also known as Divya Spandana, has been appointed the campaign’s brand ambassador.
She has called for menopause to be recognized as a public-health concern rather than an issue women are expected to manage privately. Her involvement is intended to increase awareness, reduce stigma and encourage women and families to discuss menopause more openly.
Public understanding may be particularly important because symptoms are sometimes misinterpreted, concealed or accepted without seeking appropriate care.
Proposed Policy Could Address a Long-Neglected Gap
Women may spend several decades of their lives after menopause, yet public-health programs have traditionally concentrated more heavily on reproductive and maternal health.
Ruthu Thare could broaden this focus by treating midlife health as an important stage requiring preventive care, screening, counselling and timely treatment.
The policy is still being developed. Its eventual impact will depend on the final guidelines, funding, workforce training, screening protocols, referral pathways and availability of specialist services across urban and rural Karnataka.
If implemented effectively, the initiative could provide a model for integrating menopause care into public-health systems elsewhere in India.
References:
- Menopause- (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/menopause)
Source-Medindia