Menopausia

The climacteric and menopause mark, with the cessation of reproductive functions, the entry of women into the second half of life, their transition to old age. A social devaluation has prevailed over these phenomena, crossed by prejudices and stereotypes, generally associated with a loss of the splendor of life and the rejection of its impermanence. For a long time and until recently, menopause has been considered a disease, an endocrinopathy with many sequelae, susceptible to pharmacological treatments that, in addition to relieving symptoms, would allow the prevention of ailments typical of old age: osteoporotic fractures, heart attacks, Alzheimer's etc. All this would mean a lucrative business for the pharmaceutical industry which, allied with a profoundly androcentric and patriarchal medical conception, considers women and their bodies less healthy and valuable after their reproductive stage. A vision that feminism has effectively criticized, highlighting the gender biases that influence women's health and quality of life. This book explains how menopause is and has been understood and perceived in science, history and in different societies, while proposing its comprehensive resignification from self-knowledge, autonomy and good treatment.