For generations, Indian women have been taught how to nurture families, preserve relationships and silently endure discomfort.
But very few women are taught what happens to their bodies, confidence, intimacy, emotional wellbeing and even their sense of self during perimenopause and menopause.
And perhaps nowhere is the silence deeper than around sex.
For millions of women, perimenopause and menopause quietly bring changes they are too embarrassed, conditioned or afraid to discuss openly-vaginal dryness, hormonal fluctuations, low libido, painful intimacy, sleep disruption, emotional exhaustion, body-confidence struggles and a growing sense of emotional disconnection.
Yet despite affecting more than 1.1 billion women worldwide who are in perimenopause, menopause or postmenopause, conversations around menopause and sexual wellbeing remain deeply taboo, particularly across India and much of South Asia. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), menopause can significantly affect women's physical, mental, sexual and social wellbeing. The WHO also identifies symptoms such as vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, sleep disturbances and mood changes as factors that can affect quality of life, while awareness and access to menopause care remain inadequate in many parts of the world.
According to Swati Singh and Reshma Tiwari, co-founders of ResetWell Plus, this silence is not merely affecting women physically-it is quietly affecting marriages, emotional wellbeing, confidence, relationships and overall quality of life.
"Women are taught to discuss periods in whispers and menopause in silence," says Swati Singh, author, menopause awareness champion and co-founder of ResetWell Plus. "But nobody prepares women for how deeply hormonal transitions can affect intimacy, emotional connection, sleep, self-worth and mental wellbeing. When women stop talking about sex because they feel ashamed of what menopause is doing to their bodies, the silence often becomes more painful than the symptoms themselves."
Scientific evidence increasingly shows that menopause affects far more than reproductive health. The International Menopause Society notes that declining oestrogen levels can contribute to vaginal dryness, discomfort during intercourse, reduced libido and changes in sexual response, while emotional factors such as anxiety, poor sleep and altered body image can further influence intimacy and relationships. The Menopause Society also recognises sexual wellbeing as an essential component of healthy ageing and advocates greater awareness and open conversations around intimacy during menopause.
"The tragedy is that many women begin feeling undesirable, invisible or emotionally disconnected during menopause," says Swati Singh. "And because the conversation is surrounded by shame, women often internalise the problem instead of seeking support. They continue smiling, raising families, going to work and carrying responsibilities while silently grieving changes they don't fully understand."
For Swati, the issue became deeply personal during her own menopause journey while living in the United States.
"What frightened me most was how lonely the experience could feel," she says. "Women begin questioning not only their bodies, but their femininity, confidence and emotional identity. Nobody tells you that menopause can make you feel emotionally distant from your own partner or even from yourself."
Standing beside her in this movement is Reshma Tiwari, senior corporate finance executive at one of the world's Big Four accounting firms, mother of two and co-founder of ResetWell Plus.
For Reshma, menopause and intimacy are conversations Indian couples urgently need to normalise.
"Menopause does not only affect women physically," says Reshma Tiwari. "It affects emotional intimacy, communication, sleep, confidence and relationships. But in many Indian homes, women still hesitate to discuss these changes openly-sometimes even with their own partners. Sex becomes uncomfortable, conversations become awkward, and women often blame themselves instead of recognising that these are natural hormonal changes."
Raised by a physician father and having witnessed her own mother silently endure menopause without awareness or emotional support, Reshma says generations of women were conditioned to quietly "adjust" through discomfort.
"In India, women are praised for sacrifice and endurance," says Reshma Tiwari. "But resilience should not mean silently suffering through changes that affect your physical health, emotional wellbeing, intimate relationships and confidence. Women deserve information, empathy and support-not embarrassment."
Research also suggests that the emotional impact of menopause extends well beyond intimate relationships. A study published in Occupational Medicine found that fatigue, poor sleep and cognitive symptoms associated with menopause affected work performance in 65&#37 of women surveyed, illustrating how hormonal changes that influence emotional wellbeing and intimate relationships can also affect everyday life, confidence and productivity.
"If emotional ecosystems at home are disturbed, women carry that exhaustion into every other part of their lives," says Swati Singh. "Intimacy, sleep, confidence and emotional wellbeing are deeply connected. When one begins to suffer, everything else-including relationships, parenting, social confidence and professional life-can also be affected."
What began as two personal journeys slowly evolved into ResetWell Plus-a platform dedicated to helping women reclaim vitality, confidence and quality of life through expert-led education, honest conversations, webinars, wellness events and personalised hormonal and non-hormonal menopause support.
Unlike generic wellness platforms, ResetWell Plus approaches menopause not merely as symptom management but as a larger conversation around emotional wellbeing, intimacy, relationships, identity and healthy ageing.
"At ResetWell Plus, we want women to understand that menopause is not the end of femininity, intimacy, ambition or self-worth," say the founders. "Women deserve awareness, support and dignity through every phase of life. Talking about sex during menopause should never be a source of shame. It should be a conversation that empowers women and strengthens relationships."
Both women believe India is at a turning point.
As awareness around hormonal health slowly grows, Swati Singh and Reshma Tiwari hope more women-and more importantly, their partners and families-begin speaking openly about intimacy, menopause and sexual wellbeing.
Because women should never have to feel embarrassed about what their bodies naturally go through.
And intimacy should never become the silent casualty of menopause.

ResetWell Plus promotes open conversations on menopause, intimacy, and women`s emotional well-being.

Why Don't We Talk About Sex? Swati Singh & Reshma Tiwari On Menopause, Intimacy, Silence & Women's Wellbeing

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Why Don't We Talk About Sex? Swati Singh & Reshma Tiwari On Menopause, Intimacy, Silence & Women's Wellbeing

Other Articles

Mid-Day Fast