Doctors have responded to critics who say menopausal women are failing, and said treating menopause as a hormone deficiency that requires medical treatment could fuel negative expectations and make things worse.
In a letter to the British Medical Journal, they said there was an urgent need for a more realistic and balanced narrative that actively questions the idea that menopause is synonymous with an inevitable decline in women’s health and well-being, and they called for continued efforts to raise awareness of the symptoms. and how to treat them.
“Menopause is a natural event for half of humanity. While media attention in the UK may give the impression that an increasing number of women are struggling to cope with menopausal symptoms and seek hormonal treatment, there is no universal experience and most women prefer not to take medication unless their symptoms are severe, “Martha wrote. Hickey, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues.
They added that the overmedicalization of menopause runs the risk of collapsing this wide range of experiences into a very definite disease that requires treatment.
“It tends to emphasize the negative aspects of menopause, and while effective treatments are important for those with bothersome symptoms, medicalization can increase women’s anxiety and apprehension about this natural stage of life.”
Women’s menopausal experiences were strongly influenced by personal, family and social factors, they said. For example, a recent review found that negative attitudes and expectations before menopause predict the likelihood that women will experience distressing symptoms.
A separate study of women in the UK who were experiencing hot flashes found that those with negative beliefs about menopause were more likely to rate these symptoms as “problematic” and to report embarrassment and embarrassment.
“Changing the narrative by normalizing menopause and emphasizing positive or neutral aspects, such as freedom from menstruation, pregnancy, and contraception, along with information on managing annoying symptoms, could empower women to manage menopause. with more confidence, “Hickey said.
More than 75% of menopausal women report symptoms, with about a quarter describing them as severe. While some women benefit from hormone therapy, changes in diet, regular exercise, smoking cessation, and finding ways to reduce stress can also help.
Haitham Hamoda, President of the British Menopause Society, and Sara Moger, Executive Director of the Society, wrote in a related editorial: “Healthcare providers should take an individualized approach to assessment and empower women to make informed decisions based on impartial evidence. information based on effective application. ”
While the benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are likely to outweigh the risks for most women with problematic symptoms, current evidence does not support their use in preventing dementia or cardiovascular disease. it should be prescribed without a clear indication, they said. .
BMJ columnist Dr. Rammya Mathew added that recent criticism from TV presenter Davina McCall’s GPs in her menopause documentary series was fueled by a narrative that the nation’s GPs were few. skilled and skilled and therefore bankrupt women.
He said: “The most nuanced truth is that there have been many U-turns in terms of HRT safety, which have had a lasting impact on the confidence of professionals in the available evidence. Women’s symptoms they can’t always be attributed to menopause, and while the benefits of HRT outweigh the risks in most women, it’s not always so.
“I do not deny that individual women have been disappointed, and I applaud Davina for making known what is often still considered a taboo subject in society. But the question of the competence of GPs must be questioned. “