‘That's menopause. What can you do?’: Patient Experiences with Menopause Treatment After the WHI Study

• In Event: 20820 - Section on Medical Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 21. Patient Experiences and Diagnostic Processes II

Abstract

Menopause is a stage of life for almost half of Americans. While symptoms vary, the majority of those who experience menopause face some degree of discomfort. Following the halt of the Women’s Health Initiative Study in 2002 due to concerns about the link between hormones and cancer, hormonal treatments for menopause declined. Despite recent research indicating flaws in the 2002 study, use of hormone therapies remains low. In this article, I reveal findings from interviews with twenty individuals experiencing menopausal symptoms to explore how they learn about and access treatments in light of recent medical research. Participants faced multilevel challenges with getting care: First, most struggled to find a knowledgeable physician. Second, those seeking symptom relief reported being dismissed or misdiagnosed. Finally, those seeking hormones or other treatments struggled to pay for them. The findings indicate that de-medicalizing menopause in the twenty-first century leaves many individuals struggling to be heard.

Author

• Megan Henley, Colorado Mesa University