Women's experiences and expectations during the menopause transition: a systematic qualitative narrative review

There is an increased research focus on the menopause transition. However, this literature is still largely focused on quantitatively surveying women about their menopause symptoms, with less qualitative focus on women's lived experiences of menopause. This includes the impact of menopause on women's daily lives, how they seek information and support, and their perceptions of societal attitudes towards menopause. This article presents a narrative review of qualitative studies (2014-24) conducted with women aged 45-60 years that focused on the lived experience of menopause. Four themes were constructed from 12 papers using reflexive thematic analysis. Menopause was considered a natural and normal part of the ageing process, with many positives, including new beginnings and elevating women's status as elders in their communities. However, some women found menopause challenging in the context of other factors occurring in midlife. This included a lack of access to information about their symptoms and what they were experiencing. Specific challenges related to mood changes also impacted women's identity and social connections with others. Women's negative experiences were influenced by stigma and gendered social stereotypes about ageing. Improving the theoretical and methodological quality and coherence of qualitative research, with independent funding for these studies, would strengthen the literature relating to women's lived experience of menopause. As well as the individual and social determinants of women's experiences, it is important that research also considers the impact of the framing of menopause, and how economic, commercial, and political determinants may intersect to influence women's experiences of the menopause transition.