The Menopause: A Woman’s View

Abstract

Question a group of women about their attitude towards the menopause and the replies you receive will be highly diverse. Some will subscribe to the male conspiracy theory that doctors have over-medicalized the problem in order to extend their power over women and that “the change” is purely a natural event in one’s life. Others will regard it as a major point of transition in a woman’s life sometimes viewed negatively as the beginning of old age, sometimes viewed positively as a time when women enjoy greater freedom. A small minority may recognize that it is a time when women become estrogen deficient, a state which needs to be carefully managed to avoid long-term problems such as osteoporosis or heart disease.