Changing perspectives on the menopause

Despite the fact that the menopause is an ubiquitous event for women, little attention was directed to it during the first half of this century. Over the past 50 years, however, scientific interest in the menopause has increased. Moreover, numerous controversial issues have attracted scientific attention, from whether there is such a phenomenon as the ‘menopausal syndrome' to the appropriate place of hormone replacement therapy in the treatment of ‘menopausal' complaints. A major philosophic question raised by these discussions is whether the menopause is best regarded as a natural, normal developmental stage or whether it is an example of a deficiency disease requiring medical attention. This article will review the changing conceptualizations of the menopause and the treatment efforts associated with these changing perspectives.