For many women, menopause symptoms are something to manage rather than something to seek help for. Our survey of 3,000 women across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines shows that many women wait until symptoms become difficult to manage before speaking to a healthcare professional, while others do not seek care at all.

The biggest reason may be simpler than expected: many women do not see their symptoms as serious enough.

Few women seek help early

Among women currently going through perimenopause or menopause, or who have already been through it, only 18% say they consulted a doctor or health professional proactively, before their symptoms became difficult.

Another 28% sought help only once their symptoms became hard to manage.

Around 45% have not seen a healthcare professional about their symptoms, including 25% who say they do not plan to.

There are differences across the region. Women in Indonesia (24%), Vietnam (24%) and the Philippines (23%) are the most likely to have sought help early. In Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, the figure is between 13% and 14%.

Thailand has the highest share of women who say they do not plan to see a doctor, at 38%. In Vietnam, that figure is around one in eight.

Age also matters. Women aged 45 and above, the largest group experiencing menopause in the survey, are the least likely to seek help early. Only 13% say they did so proactively, while 33% do not plan to seek help.

The biggest barrier: it does not feel serious enough

When women currently going through perimenopause or menopause were asked what has stopped them from seeking help, one answer stood out clearly.

58% say their symptoms did not seem serious enough.

That was well ahead of cost (20%), embarrassment (16%), a lack of nearby specialists (14%) and not knowing that a doctor could help (13%).

In Thailand, this rises to 75%, meaning three in four women who have not sought help point to the same reason. Among women aged 45 and above, it is 66%.

Other barriers are more specific to certain markets. Cost is the biggest practical barrier in the Philippines, cited by 37%. In Vietnam, 32% point to embarrassment, although this is based on a smaller group.

Among the smaller group of women under 35, embarrassment and access to specialists are cited more often than among older women.

So what makes women seek help?

For women who have already been through menopause, the answer is often when symptoms begin to interfere with everyday life.

51% say they sought help when symptoms started affecting their daily life or work.

31% were prompted by symptoms affecting their relationships, while 28% sought help after a recommendation from a friend or family member. Another 21% said they discussed menopause during a routine check-up.

Taken together, the findings suggest that many women do not necessarily seek care when symptoms first appear. They seek it when those symptoms become difficult to ignore.

Are women confident that healthcare can help?

There is also some uncertainty about whether the healthcare system is equipped to support women through menopause.

Only 20% of women believe healthcare providers in their country are very well equipped to discuss and treat menopause. 42% say there is room for improvement.

Thai women are the most confident, with 33% saying providers are very well equipped. In Indonesia, 25% say most providers are not well equipped.

And despite healthcare providers being an obvious source of information, only 5% of women say a healthcare provider was where they first learned about menopause.

Making menopause easier to talk about

The data points to a simple gap. Women are experiencing symptoms, but many do not necessarily see those symptoms as something that warrants medical attention.

That does not mean every symptom requires treatment. But it does suggest that more women could benefit from having clearer information about what is normal, what is not, and when it may be worth speaking to a healthcare professional.

Menopause does not have to reach a breaking point before it becomes a conversation.

A regional survey of 3,000 women across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines (500 per market, fielded 9 to 16 October 2026) examined how women feel about menopause, how openly it is discussed, and how they seek support. The results point to a region where menopause is seldom seen as taboo but is still rarely talked about, and where many women hold off on seeking care. Interested to access the full dataset? Get in touch with us at sales@mili.eu