Perimenopause for Turkish Women: Cultural Attitudes, Healthcare, and Getting Good Support

A Transition With Many Names and Little Preparation

In Turkish, menopause is called menopoz, a borrowing from Western medical terminology, or more colloquially, menapoz donemi (the menopause period). The term klimakterium is also used in medical settings. Perimenopause specifically does not have a widely used common term in everyday Turkish speech, which itself reflects the cultural gap between the medical understanding of this transition and how it is discussed in households and communities.

For many Turkish women, particularly those raised in more traditional families or in rural areas, information about perimenopause came late or not at all. Mothers and aunts may have described the end of periods with brief pragmatism, or not at all. The years of irregular cycles, mood changes, sleep disruption, and physical symptoms that precede that ending were rarely named or prepared for.

Turkish women in diaspora, particularly in Germany (which has one of the largest Turkish diaspora populations in the world), as well as in the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, the UK, and elsewhere, navigate this transition while also navigating the gaps between Turkish cultural norms and the healthcare systems of the countries where they live.

What Research Shows for Turkish Women

Turkey has a growing body of research on perimenopausal and menopausal experiences among Turkish women, conducted in Turkish clinical and community settings. Several studies have found that Turkish women report hot flashes at rates comparable to Western populations, with some regional variation between urban and rural settings.

Interestingly, some Turkish research has also found higher rates of somatic symptom reporting, including headaches, joint pain, fatigue, and sleep disruption, compared to mood-focused symptom reporting. This aligns with patterns seen in other cultures where psychological distress is more likely to be expressed through physical symptoms, partly because somatic complaints are more culturally acceptable.

Cardiovascular risk is significant for Turkish women and increases sharply during the menopausal transition. Turkey has elevated rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in the general population, and the loss of estrogen's protective vascular effects during perimenopause makes blood pressure and lipid monitoring during this period genuinely important.

Osteoporosis is a significant concern. Turkey has one of the higher rates of osteoporotic fractures in the European region, and Turkish women have been identified as a high-risk group. Bone health proactivity during perimenopause, through calcium, vitamin D, and weight-bearing exercise, has particular importance in this context.

Cultural Attitudes: Namus, Family Role, and Silence

Turkish culture is not monolithic. Istanbul and Ankara are cosmopolitan, secular, and Westernised in ways that smaller Anatolian towns are not. The class and education gradient matters enormously in how Turkish women experience perimenopause and what support they access.

Across that gradient, however, some cultural patterns persist. The concept of namus (honour and propriety), while not as rigidly applied as in some neighbouring cultures, still shapes how Turkish women talk about their bodies in family and community settings. Gynaecological health, hormones, and the end of fertility are intimate topics that many women keep private, even from close family members.

The Turkish cultural ideal of the capable, self-sufficient mother and wife, managing the household and supporting children through education and life transitions, can conflict with the reality of perimenopausal symptom burden. Women who are experiencing significant sleep disruption, irritability, and cognitive changes while managing demanding family responsibilities describe a particular kind of exhaustion and invisibility.

For older generations, the end of reproductive capacity could carry a sense of loss in a culture where maternal identity is deeply central. For younger, more educated urban Turkish women, the framing is often very different, with more access to information, more comfort with medical intervention, and more willingness to discuss the transition openly.

Turkish Healthcare and HRT Access

Turkey has a universal healthcare system (Genel Saglik Sigortasi) that provides access to GP and specialist care for most residents. Gynaecological care is accessible, and Turkey has a relatively strong tradition of gynaecological training. HRT is available in Turkey and is prescribed by gynaecologists.

However, awareness of perimenopause as a distinct, multi-year phase requiring its own management is still developing in Turkish medical practice. Some gynaecologists are well-informed and up to date. Others may have more conservative attitudes toward HRT or may not be conversant with the full range of available formulations.

Private healthcare in Turkey's major cities offers access to menopause-focused consultations, often with shorter waiting times and longer appointment slots than the public system. The Turkish Menopause and Osteoporosis Society (TSOD) is the professional organisation that sets clinical standards and provides education for Turkish practitioners.

For Turkish women in Germany, the largest diaspora context, accessing healthcare in German can be a real barrier. Many areas of Germany with large Turkish communities have Turkish-speaking providers, but access to menopause-specialist care in Turkish is variable. German-language resources from the Deutsche Menopause Gesellschaft provide information on care standards, even if not in Turkish.

Herbal Traditions and What They Offer

Turkey has a rich and sophisticated tradition of herbal medicine, grounded in Ottoman imperial pharmacy as well as regional Anatolian folk practices. Many Turkish women were raised drinking herbal teas and using plant-based remedies for a range of health concerns, and these traditions are relevant to perimenopause management.

Sage (ada cayir) tea is widely used in Turkey for hot flashes and is one of the better-evidenced herbal approaches to vasomotor symptoms, with a small number of clinical trials showing a meaningful reduction in hot flash frequency.

Red clover (kirmizi yonca), which contains isoflavones, has been studied for menopausal symptom relief with modest positive results in some trials.

Lemon balm (melisa), chamomile (papatya), and linden (ihlamur) teas are commonly used for sleep and anxiety and have modest evidence bases for mild effects on both.

Flaxseed (keten tohumu), which Turkish cuisine uses in a range of preparations, is rich in lignans and has some evidence for reducing hot flash frequency when included regularly in the diet.

These herbal approaches are not a substitute for medical treatment when symptoms are severe, but they fit naturally into the kind of lifestyle-based management that complements other approaches.

The Mediterranean Diet Advantage

Traditional Turkish cuisine is one of the most celebrated examples of Mediterranean-style eating, and its relevance to perimenopause is real. The Turkish diet at its traditional best features olive oil, legumes, whole grains, fish, abundant vegetables, and fermented dairy products like yogurt and ayran.

This dietary pattern supports cardiovascular health, metabolic health, and bone health in ways directly relevant to perimenopausal risk. Olive oil's anti-inflammatory properties, the calcium from yogurt and dairy, the fibre and protein from legumes, and the omega-3s from fish all contribute to a nutritional profile that reduces the additional risks that perimenopause brings.

The shift toward more processed foods in urban Turkish life and among diaspora communities is worth being mindful of. Returning to or maintaining the traditional Turkish dietary pattern during perimenopause is one of the most practical and culturally grounded things you can do for your health during this transition.

Tracking Your Symptoms and Preparing for Appointments

Whether you are consulting a gynaecologist in Istanbul, a GP in Berlin, or a menopause specialist in London, arriving with a documented record of your symptoms gives your provider a clearer picture than memory alone.

PeriPlan lets you log symptoms daily, track patterns over weeks and months, and see how your experience is changing over time. Note the frequency and severity of hot flashes and night sweats, mood changes, sleep disruption, joint pain, and cognitive symptoms. These documented patterns are more useful than a vague account of feeling off.

For Turkish diaspora women whose primary language is Turkish, being able to describe your symptoms clearly, even if the appointment is in German or English, matters. Preparing a brief description of your key symptoms in both languages can help ensure the conversation is accurate.

Self-Advocacy and Finding Good Care

You do not need to minimise your symptoms to be taken seriously. Describing them clearly, frequently, and specifically is not complaining. It is giving your provider the information they need.

Ask about the range of treatment options, including transdermal HRT, oral options, and non-hormonal approaches. Ask about bone density assessment given Turkish women's elevated osteoporosis risk. Ask about cardiovascular monitoring given elevated blood pressure prevalence.

If you feel dismissed, seek a second opinion. The Turkish Menopause and Osteoporosis Society (TSOD) in Turkey and national menopause societies in European diaspora countries can help you find providers with specific menopause training.

Connecting with other Turkish women who are navigating perimenopause is also valuable. Turkish-language women's health communities are growing on social platforms, and finding others whose cultural context matches yours makes the conversation easier and less isolated.

You deserve care that fits your life, your culture, and your specific health picture.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider about your specific situation.