Indigenous knowledge, beliefs, practices and treatments of menopause among females of African descent

Excerpt

Menopause is also known as bofelo bja lehlapo or kgwedi in Sepedi or ukuyeka ukuya exesheni isiXhosa or u sema vhakegulu in Tshivenḓa and is a normal and natural critical phase of transition for all ageing females. At some point in life and age, each female enters the stage of menopause. Indigenous knowledge on menopause is generated and regulated through views, expectations, understandings and executions that notify this phase. These views, expectations, understandings and executions are unique to a group of people living together. They are mainly extracted from the proficiency of ancient knowledge and are passed from generation to generation. If not documented, this knowledge will be lost and that will be a loss to the health care systems.

Various factors, including socio-cultural beliefs and practices such as language, are used to understand the meaning of menopause, attitudes towards menopause, use of taboos, idioms, moral folktales and proverbs, cultural lifestyles such as diet or food practices, individual female responsibilities and physical activities to reduce symptoms and herbal plants and medicines are used as treatment and these influence and affect how an individual female experiences menopausal transition. In African cultures, menopause appears to be understood and treated differently across sub-cultural groups. This chapter outlines various indigenous knowledge understandings of menopause, intending to provide insight into cultural beliefs, practices and treatments for menopause among indigenous females. Understanding this crucial stage of life from indigenous worldviews may assist health care practitioners in aiding patients who seek menopausal health care and offer them culturally safe and acceptable treatment methods. This will improve the quality of care that the clients receive from health care practitioners.