The meanings of menopause

Multiple meanings have been assigned to menopause and to women experiencing menopause. Meanings are not inherent in reality but are assigned by humans in response to interaction. Once meanings are assigned to entities, they become coercive and influence interactions. Freidson's (1988) theoretical framework includes the imputation of responsibility, legitimacy, and seriousness to a deviance or illness and provides the basis for an analysis of the various meanings of menopause that are found in the literature. This analysis is concerned with the social, political, economic, and health care consequences of the assigned meanings of menopause for women.