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Medicalized menopause, US style
1InterNational Organization to Reclaim Menopause (INORM). women@inorm.org
Health Care for Women International
|January 27, 2004
Summary
Menopause is increasingly viewed as an estrogen deficiency, a concept originating in the US and spreading globally. This medicalization, driven by cultural biases, causes harm and requires international attention.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of Medicine
- Women's Health
- Cultural Anthropology
Background:
- The perception of menopause as solely an estrogen deficiency condition is a recent development.
- This medicalized view originated in the United States and is now disseminated globally.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cultural and policy factors contributing to the medicalization of menopause.
- To highlight the negative impacts of this medicalized approach on women worldwide.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of cultural assumptions and policies in the United States.
- Examination of gender biases influencing medical discourse.
Main Results:
- The concept of menopause as estrogen deficiency is a culturally constructed phenomenon.
- Gender biases and specific US policies have driven its medicalization.
Conclusions:
- The medicalization of menopause, particularly as an estrogen deficiency, is causing harm internationally.
- Addressing this global issue requires a concerted effort from the international community.