The Lancet warns of the risk of medicalizing menopause

2024/03/06 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna
• Medikuntza
• Berdintasuna
• Anatomia/Fisiologia

On March 8, the medical journal The Lancet published a selection of articles on menopause. In his summary, he recalls that menopause is an inescapable stage in the life of half the world's population, but experiences vary greatly from one to the other: some women have few or no symptoms at menopause and climacteric, others have severe, sometimes persistent symptoms that affect their quality of life.

This battery of articles aims to inform and empower women to help them make decisions, receive empathetic clinical care and have adequate working conditions, if necessary. It also aims to reduce stigma on older women.

In the editorial they have published along with the articles, they have recalled the interest of some companies in using products and services to fight menopause. As an example, hormone replacement therapy is mentioned, which is neither necessary nor appropriate for all women. In general, these messages run the risk of women underestimating themselves, living negatively and overmeditating themselves.

Thus, they affirm that it is necessary to make available to women and doctors the appropriate information to make the appropriate decisions before and during menopause. They also underscore the need to continue betting on gender equality in research, in order to reduce the gender bias existing in medicine and increase inclusiveness.

Read the report on Menopause in its entirety