MENOPAUSAL MYTHS
- 1 June 1979
- journal article
- occasional survey
- Published by AMPCo in The Medical Journal of Australia
- Vol. 1 (11), 496-499
- https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.1979.tb119333.x
Abstract
The incidence of 20 symptoms in five‐year age groups of women between 20 years of age to over 65 years of age was examined in a sample of 948 normal women who were included in the North West Region Health and Social Survey. Six symptoms increased with age, three symptoms decreased with age and the remainder showed no significant change. The symptoms women associated with the menopause were also assessed. The hypothesis was made that if the menopause led to new symptoms then the incidence in the age groups, from 45 to 49, or from 50 to 54 years of age, would be extraordinary. On this basis, no evidence for a specific menopausal syndrome was found; the only symptom women commonly attributed to the menopause was hot flushes. Review of the literature suggests that most of the beneficial effect of oestrogens, when compared to placebo, upon psychological status arises secondary to the relief of hot flushes. Any specific beneficial effect of oestrogen on the brain is either small or still unproven. All but one of a sample of undergraduate medical textbooks present views concerning the menopause which are contrary to the findings of the current study. Public education concerning the over‐all effects of ageing, both favourable and unfavourable, on the incidence of various symptoms would place the matter of the menopause in better perspective.Keywords
This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit:
- Hormone therapy and affectMaturitas, 1979
- Screening for Psychological Disturbance amongst Gynaecology PatientsAustralian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 1977
- The Management of the Menopause & Post-Menopausal YearsPublished by Springer Nature ,1976
- The Influence of Estrogens on the Psyche in Climacteric and Post-menopausal WomenPublished by Springer Nature ,1976
- Climacteric Stress: Its Empirical ManagementBMJ, 1956