If menopause is 'natural' why would evolution do this to us? To what advantage? And is this why perimenopause is ignored? Because we are expected to suffer bc it's 'natural' aging?

Just curious how society gets away with not treating our health. It can't just be bc it's only viewed through the lens of fertility...or could it? Is the patriarchy killing us after we're 'useful'?

Edit: To all the comments regarding the colloquial phrase “evolution do this to us.”—I’m a breeder/pathologist scientist by training, so I obviously know evolution doesn’t have some kind of plan. It was just a way to express my despair at having to go through this. Of course, I get the Reddit penalty for stating it that way. The corrections on my post—actually gives me hope for humanity.

Now for the explanation bc I guess I owe one:

Evolution is the process of genetic traits shifting in populations over time due to natural selection, mutation, genetic drift, and gene flow. It doesn’t happen at the individual level but across populations, and traits stick around (or disappear) based on reproductive success and survival. Evolution is neither preferential nor goal-oriented.

I can see how my phrasing might have triggered some into thinking I don’t understand evolution. But I do. Have to for work. But more likely, postmenopausal women helped their gene pool survive by passing down knowledge and support, increasing the odds that their descendants thrived. Over time, this indirect advantage helped shape human longevity.

So no, nature isn’t punishing us… but the patriarchy sure is. Thanks. End rant about perimenopause. Thanks for making me work when I didn't want to. 😂