A sociological study of women's lived experience of menopause and understanding of menstruation in Mthatha and Makhanda, Eastern Cape Province

Abstract

This qualitative study explored different sociocultural factors that influence and inform women's menopause experience and perceptions. The aim of the study was to investigate the cultural beliefs about menstruation and menopause, with a focus on embodied experiences of menopause, as well as the perceptions of the transition from menstruation to menopause. Six in-depth interviews were conducted with women in their 60s and 70s in the Eastern Cape Province: four in-depth interviews were conducted in Umtata/Mthatha and two in Makhanda. Data was analysed thematically. A key study finding is that women's definition and experience of menopause is significantly influenced by their sociocultural context. This also shapes their experience of menopause, and in the case of the women in this study, menopause is experienced as a natural process. Regardless of the participants' acceptance of menopause, some women still need to be equipped with information on severe menopause symptoms, what they mean, and how they can be treated or managed.