W: Menopause is gripping Indian women as early as 30 years. It couples with side-effects such as osteoporosis and a host of hormonal imbalances.
L: Yes the research is increasingly gaining attention. But not enough it seems. The percentage of population that experiences early menopause is small and prevalent in rural areas.
W: Stressful lifestyles contribute to the condition.
L: You might find my ideas on the topic rather irreconcilable. All organisms adopt to social and climactic trends and this could in fact be an extension of Darwin’s theory of evolution….
W: I dont think you got me. I was talking about the early onset of menopause and the increasingly early onset of adolescence among teenagers (nah children really).
L: Do you know those movies and stories about how nature overtakes the human race to imbibe virtuosity in us? Well this maybe one such thing. Of course, I dont think of nature as an emotional/revenge-seeking character.
W: Bonkers here. Really.
L: The article you brought up is a precursor to what I think is biology’s way to create a sense of homeostasis. Like a 50 year plan of reducing the population. Try as you might eugenics cant solve all of our problems. Its inhuman. What is happening is a process of evolution.
W: [Raises eyebrows]
L: It maybe an effect of stressful lifestyles, the reduced focus on reproduction to count money. I dont know. I am not a scientist or an anthropologist. But I think that the way we think about breeding is causing this biological change. The only way to reduce the population is by becoming sterile without choice…..Monetary stability occurs at around 25?
W: You could say that.
L: Well early menopause (and mark my words, the female body will increasingly shorten her fertility period), increased cases of polycystic ovaries (which affect reproduction severely amongst the one in every five women that it affects), people willingly choosing to not have children; are all individual parts of the game that come together as a whole.
W: To reduce the population?
L: Im saying its plausible.
W: Are you suggesting that this is how the human race ends?
L: Again, those are theories suggested by movies. No, I am not suggesting that at all. Let me illustrate further with some comparisons…. My grandmother had seven children.
W: Wow! Thats alot.
L: In todays time it is. But in those days she actually conceived much more than seven times. Complications, lack of medical facilities and technology meant that infant mortality rates were high. People died younger as well. If you look up, the average life expectancy around the world wars (which is when my grandparents lived) was around thirty (I am a little busy these days but I’ll update this article with relevant statistics and hyperlinks soon, you will have to read up on your own for now). Prudence taught them to have a handful of children to ensure gene travel (as well as being taken care off in old age).
W: I’ll look it up and see if I can find the relevant statistics.
L: Thank you. Its always good to be bi-human. I’ll continue. Life expectancy has dramatically increased. Infant mortality rates have dropped.
W: Go ahead..
L: So technically, there isnt the need to have a reproductive life that spans for forty years. Ten to twenty years will do. The body is simply adapting to the scientific age.
W: I was actually concerned about the side effects. Menopause is a emotionally testing time for any woman.
L: Well honestly, I think its terrible for ten year olds to go through puberty. But they increasingly do. We will just have to gracefully deal with menopause at thirty.
W: Its like a balance. Nature wants to keep a balance of things, If you could live longer and breed longer…
L: Yes, you understood my theory. Well I have also read awhile ago that a 60 year old woman gave birth. So there will be anamolies. Always.
W: Out of the box. Its natures way of getting a bit creative I suppose.
L: I have another theory revolving around this one.
W: Well go ahead.
L: I dont think the process will be indiscriminate. People will be biologically chosen.
W: Are you saying that people with higher IQ’s or some artistic talents, or who are achievers will have better fertility?
L: Well I dont know how yet. I need to read up more on the subject.
W: What about test tube babies? Edwards just got a Nobel! (Hey there Congratulations. Your perseverance is amazing)
L: The female body already seems to be aware of all these things at a sub-conscious level. Please understand I am not getting metaphysical here.
W: Okay. It is a bit eerie though. You mentioned awhile ago that this whole deal is about the body adapting to the scientific age. What else do you think will happen?
L: Thank you. I dont mind eerie. It saves me the pain of monotony. Well thats a great question. But I will answer you another day. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
W: Who said you cant eat two apples?
L: You can eat two apples. I’d like to have an orange after the apple. Thats all.
