Menopausal women's positive experience of growing older.
OBJECTIVE
This paper aims to describe menopausal women's positive experience of growing older and becoming middle-aged.


METHODS
Qualitative interviews with 24 menopausal women, selected on the basis of a questionnaire, covering a broad spectrum of Danish women in terms of experience of menopausal symptoms, treatment, contact with the health care system, and social background.


RESULTS
The women expressed varied and many-facetted views on ageing and clearly connected the fact that they were menopausal to the ageing process. All, except one, mentioned positive aspects of growing older: 1. they had become more experienced and competent; 2. they had gained more freedom; 3. they perceived possibilities of personal development that made them able to hold on to their own opinions and better speak their minds. The described positive effects were the result of having lived a long life, of good and evil, not of the menopause itself. The women also mentioned negative aspects: 1. negative expectations; 2. negative experiences. Positive aspects, often of psychological or existential nature, seemed to outweigh the negative experiences which were mostly related to bodily changes or losses.


CONCLUSIONS
This paper discusses the importance of avoiding unnecessary negative expectations of ageing and menopause and of focusing, instead, on the positive aspects of growing older. Health professionals should reconsider the necessity to talk about future risks with healthy women, and instead support the women's agenda when they try to cope with real-life problems.
Hvas
Lotte
L
Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Department of General Practice, Øster Farimagsgade 5 Q, Postboks 2099, DK-1014 Copenhagen K, Denmark. lotte.hvas@dadlnet.dk
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires