The role of the menopause in women's experiences of the 'change of life

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2248604
AutoresKaren Ballard (Royal Holloway University of London), Karen D Ballard, Diana Kuh (0000-0001-7386-2857, The Royal Free Hospital), Diana J Kuh, Michael Wadsworth (The Royal Free Hospital), Michael E J Wadsworth
Año2001
Volumen23
Número4
Páginas397-424
Fecha de publicación2001-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSociology of Health & Illness (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0141-9889 • E-ISSN: 1467-9566
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1467-9566.00258
OpenAlexW2075557719
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas28
Referencias citadas12

Over the course of the 20th century, the menopause came to be viewed amongst the medical profession as a hormone deficiency state. This formulation of the menopause as a physiological and biochemical change, whilst in some ways appropriate, understates the importance of the social context in which the menopause is experienced. Drawing on women's accounts of the menopause, as described in the comments section of a longitudinal national survey, this paper describes the experience of the menopause transition as a status passage (Glaser and Strauss 1971), where women move through a series of five stages: (1) expectation of symptoms; (2) experience of symptoms and loss of control; (3) confirmation of the menopause; (4) regaining control and (5) freedom from menstruation. The social changes experienced by women during this time are then considered as parallel status passages, often competing for attention with the menopause transition. These free comments made by women emphasise the importance of changing social relationships with partners, children and parents, and changes at work. We show that, whilst women conceive the menopause to be a medical event, they themselves place importance on the social context in which the menopause is experienced. We argue therefore that the predominantly lay term, the 'change of life', is appropriate to capture the multiplicity of biological and social changes that occur during midlife, of which menopause is only one part

Context (archaeology) · Menopause · Menstruation · Estrogen and related hormone effects · History · Medicine · Menopause: Health Impacts and Treatments · Psychology · Sex and Gender in Healthcare · Social Psychology · Gerontology