Medicalization of Menopause and Public Health

The proposals for the medicalization of postmenopausal women with female hormones are based on theories which in summary consider that the fall in estrogenic levels that follows the menopause is either a disease in itself or a risk factor that is responsible for the increase in the appearance of many serious diseases. After criticizing the philosophical and scientific basis of these theories, the impact of these proposals on the health of women is discussed. Special attention is paid to the assessment of the impact of the proposals of the long-term medicalization of almost all postmenopausal women. As a result of theories pervaded with a male chauvinist rationale, millions of women are recommended treatment with therapies with an impact which is not properly assessed, exposed to known and unknown risks and involved in an important unjustified medicalization of their lives. The resources involved should be used in other social programs with a well-assessed positive social impact.