Lived Experience and Perceptions of Menopause Among Patients Participating in the Multidisciplinary Care Pathways at Paris Saint-Joseph Hospital
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Focus Group.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Menopause. Basic parameters: 45 years — 60 years · Female.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- France
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Overview
Menopause, often reduced to its biological aspects, is increasingly studied through medical, psychological, social, and cultural lenses. Women's experiences vary widely depending on context-country, era, and social status. Their perceptions are ambivalent: while some associate menopause with the end of fertility and burdensome physical symptoms (hot flashes, joint pain, sleep disorders, mood swings, brain fog, vaginal dryness, low libido, weight gain), others see it as a liberating phase, free from reproductive expectations. Surprisingly, 87% of women report a positive experience of menopause itself, though the transitional phase is less well-tolerated (78%). In France, where women's life expectancy is 87, they spend a third of their lives post-menopause. Yet, menopause remains a taboo subject. While 87% of women aged 50-65 experience at least one symptom beyond the cessation of menstruation, 25% suffer severe symptoms. The silence around menopause is striking: 48% of women under 50 find it difficult to discuss, 39% of pre-menopausal women feel anxious, 46% have never discussed it with their partner, and only 61% have consulted a healthcare professional. This silence stems from outdated sexist views, societal valorization of youth, lack of intergenerational dialogue, and insufficient targeted health policies, leading to isolation and invisibility. Medical support often focuses on a biomedical model, particularly Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), which remains controversial since the 2002 WHI study. Only 2.5% of French women over 45 currently use HRT, and 45.4% view it negatively. However, women's experiences extend far beyond hormonal concerns. To address these gaps, multidisciplinary programs-such as those at Paris Saint-Joseph Hospital and Toulouse University Hospital-offer group-based approaches, addressing physical, psychological, and relational dimensions. These programs provide a much-needed space for exchange, often absent in traditional care. Research on the benefits of collective discussion spaces (in-person or digital) in menopause care is limited, making it relevant to explore how these programs influence women's perceptions of menopause, their bodies, and their healthcare journey. While qualitative studies have examined individual experiences, few have focused on the dynamics of shared dialogue.
Interventions
- Other Focus Group
Women will participate in a focus group to discuss their Experiences and Perceptions of Menopause
Primary outcome measures
- Identify women's specific Experience and Perceptions of Menopause [Time frame: 1 day]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Women
- Between age 45 and age 60
- French speaking
- participating in the multidisciplinary program offered a the Paris Saint Joseph Hospital
- Patient who does not object to the use of these data for research purposes
Exclusion criteria
- Patient under guardianship or conservatorship
- Patient deprived of liberty (incarcerated or institutionalized)
- Patient under judicial protection
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
Study locations
France · 1 center
- Hôpital Paris Saint Joseph — Paris
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07447947 · 825_REVE