Shark Tank India's Namita Thapar opens up about period problems, internet finds it 'brave'

Namita Thapar revealed that she was going through perimenopause. (Image credit: @namitathapar/Instagram)

Namita Thapar, the executive director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, recently opened up about going through peri-menopause on Shark Tank India. The 46-year-old shared that sometimes she bled so much during her periods that it was difficult and uncomfortable for her to even sit down while shooting for the popular business reality show.

"I had become anaemic. My hemoglobin went to 8 (g/dl)," she said. The normal hemoglobin level in women is 12 to 16 g/dl. Thapar made the revelation during a pitch by the founders of Matri who manufacture a portable electronic device that offers significant relief from menstrual pain.

She further explained that she was going through perimenopause -- a phase women undergo before menopause which is often characterised by heavy bleeding and extreme pain during periods. "Perimenopause usually starts in your mid 40’s. You experience mood swings, insomnia, hot flashes and many other symptoms," Thapar added in an Instagram post. "Most women are not aware of the symptoms, treatment options and it can be a very rough & disruptive phase in their lives. It’s been a tough phase for me personally. I was happy to use the Matri pitch to share my journey and educate."

Women don’t prioritise their health & don’t speak up. I’ve used the shark tank platform to speak about my experiences with mental health, IVF, fitness & now perimenopause. Most women are not aware of the symptoms, treatment options, let’s get educated & take charge of our health pic.twitter.com/b89LnGJVWN

— Namita (@namitathapar) March 4, 2024

Several women took to both X and Instagram to praise Namita Thapar for speaking up about a problem on national television that is both personal and common among women but is rarely discussed in public.

"Being an entrepreneur, you have the guts to talk about how this issue but the medical industry is profiting from this problem rather than trying to educate people. I adore you so much," said one X user. Another wrote, "Takes a lot of courage to talk about this from a POV of personal experience. Great."

On Instagram, a user commented, "Most of the girls don't even know about 'perimenopause'. It must be included in our syllabus so that women are well aware of the phase." "It is very soothing to hear people with power, the power of getting their voices heard talk about issues pertaining to women's health. Until a few years ago, younger girls especially would feel confused and fear that it is something happening only to them.. but this is a long-awaited conversation that is finally taking place," added another while a third user said, "You are very brave and honest as at your position and social status no one will ever dare to share such personal experience."