Medical Problem or Natural Transition: Women's Accounts of Menopause

Abstract

The menopause is commonly described as a natural development phase of life, yet, biomedical language dominates media and scientific writing on the subject. This paper reports on the results of a qualitative study of women's own views and experiences of the menopause. Thirty seven peri or post menopausal women took part in semi-structured interviews. Medical language was used initially when they defined themselves in relation to the menopause, but less so when they spoke about its impact upon themselves and their lives. In general, they described the menopause as having little overall impact and the majority saw the cessation of menstruation as a relief. Reproductive decisions tended to have been made earlier in their lives. However, they also faced an additional task during the menopause in terms of dealing with negative social stereotypes of the menopause and aging, which in some cases lead to anxiety and lower self esteem.