Narrative review of changing medical and feminist perspectives on menopause : From femininity and ageing to risk and choice

摘要: Meanings and descriptions of menopause have shifted focus over the past century a half; more particularly sixty years has seen shift from hormone decline its relation to ageing, femininity symptoms since 1960's possibility for preventive medicine afforded by menopause. Medicine is not static field in construction It changed, least engagement (positively or negatively) with critique both within (epidemiological) without (feminist social sciences). In this review we identify three recent changes: (1) Increasing concern women's decision-making. (2) The emergence rejection use language which defines as condition deficiency. (3) New insights postmodern poststructural analyses that examine epistemological foundations medical feminist concepts contest fixed experience Key aspects 'medical menopause' nevertheless remain constant: loss hormones results predictable effects risks may be ameliorated replacement therapy. A question therefore emerges about how what effect practitioners engaged critiques menopause?