A Study on Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Menopause among Rural and Urban Married Women in Mangalore

Changes in health and illness of individuals create a process of transition, and clients in transition period tend to be more vulnerable to risks that may in turn affect their health. Uncovering these risks may be enhanced by understanding the transition process. Menopause may be viewed as a transition from middle age to old age by many women. Although some may look upon with pleasant anticipation, many women fear this period because of the anticipated losses.1 The word ‘menopause’ derives from Greek word ‘men’, which means ‘month’ and ‘pausis’, which means cessation. Thus, menopause refers to permanent cessation of menstruation at the end of reproductive life due to ovarian follicular inactivity.2 Menopause is an extremely important yet complex period of time during which many changes occur in a woman in an unpredictable way. It is essential to ensure that a woman understands that the menopause represents a change of life and not an end of life, and that, unless she allows it to do so, it will not result in her suddenly becoming aged and unattractive. Menopause does cause radical alterations in women’s physiological functioning and can cause anxiety in women who do not understand the changes that are taking place. Thus, it is important that women during menopausal period have adequate knowledge and positive attitude regarding menopausal transition that may enable them to accept inevitable changes and losses and recognize qualities and capabilities.3