We Need to Talk about the Menopause

Led by Professor Jane Macnaughton, this research programme explores changing treatments for—and views of—the menopause.

Often seen as ‘taboo’, recent years have ushered in a wave of activism surrounding the menopause. In response to a dearth of support (both medical and otherwise), there has been an outpouring of self-help sites, ‘menopause cafes’, articles and other resources for/by women undergoing the menopause.

Placing menopause activism within wider movements like #MeToo, equal pay and openness around women’s health issues, this programme seeks to historically contextualise and expand upon our understandings of the menopause—both medically and societally.

Research strands:

• The history of medical approaches to/broader understanding of the menopause, including symptoms, treatments and societal attitudes;
• Menopause through lenses of theory and activism, exploring areas like medicalisation, feminism and ageism.

Outputs:

• Yoeli, Heather, Jane Macnaughton, and Sarah McLusky. "Menopausal symptoms and work: A narrative review of women's experiences in casual, informal, or precarious jobs." Maturitas 150 (2021): 14-21.