Antimedicalization of healthy menstruation and menopause

Abstract

As a social and cultural movement, antimedicalization critiques the framing of natural bodily processes like menstruation and menopause as medical problems requiring treatment. This perspective is central to understanding how societal norms and health care systems shape reproductive health experiences. While medicalization has facilitated advances in diagnosing and treating extreme symptoms, it also risks pathologizing menstruation and menopause, perpetuating stigma and undermining bodily autonomy. These medical narratives often emphasize pharmaceutical interventions while de-emphasizing holistic and culturally grounded approaches to care.

This entry explores the historical and cultural contexts of medicalization, its intersection with societal stigmas, and its implications for reproductive justice and individual agency. It highlights how education, community-centered practices, and holistic health strategies can challenge the dominance of medicalized frameworks, empowering individuals to embrace menstruation and menopause as natural and meaningful life stages. By addressing the ethical, cultural, and economic dimensions of medicalization, this entry offers a comprehensive lens to rethink reproductive health narratives and care.