Feminists' discussions on issues related to menopause are often dismissed as anti-drug or anti-medical treatment, but this is not true. They do not oppose all drug treatment for problems associated with menopause, they simply hope the treatment will be appropriate and not excessive.
Feminists try to view the menopause process through the perspectives of physiology, psychology and interpersonal relationships as well as the female experience in society. This approach differs from that of most medical professionals, who believe drugs are the way to help women get through menopause.
The medical field has become stuck on the "menopause equals illness" formula without even being aware of it. Regardless of recent research, the medical field and the pharmaceutical industry almost uniformly advocate hormone replacement therapy as a solution for the health problems of middle-aged women. They also invariably regard debate about such treatment as feminist criticism against their long-running domination of women's health.
In fact, many male authors are quick to stick a "feminist" label on any discussion raised by women in medicine and public health which differs from their own point of view, often without first knowing what "feminism" is.
Feminism hopes to redefine existing social values from a female viewpoint, offering women autonomy, self-determination and choice, with an emphasis on women's needs and clarifying their rights.
Therefore, when it comes to menopause, feminism doesn't reject medical intervention completely. Rather, it stresses the importance of recognizing the experiences of women going through menopause, of listening to them and understanding what kind of help and resources they need -- medical care, interpersonal relationships, social support or government policies.
Feminism seeks to incorporate the needs of menopausal women into the debate over medical care -- something which has long been neglected -- and for women themselves to plan a self-management action project.
We are glad to see the response and concern coming from the medical field for women's health. But although we respect the expertise of the medical professionals, some self-examination wouldn't hurt.
Questions raised by feminism -- especially about the side effects and risks of hormone therapies -- should be looked into. The goal is to be aware of the difference between "medical care" and "health." However, the medical community has failed to completely evaluate the debate before lashing out defensively, revealing the male chauvinism that dominates the field.
Medical experts scold women for being ignorant of the facts about hormone therapy. It is not that women do not understand the facts that make them question the advice they receive. It is the failure of experts to objectively inform their patients of both the positive and negative effects of such treatments.
Often doctors fail to keep up with the latest information. Take the recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association that pointed out that using hormones cannot really improve the risk factors for breast cancer or mild and medium Alzheimer's disease. Taiwan's medical establishment has failed to give any feedback on these articles.
In addition, Article 3 of the three-year national health program proposed by the Department of Health says "further review and implementation are needed for the newly-raised issues about women's health, of which there has been no consensus, such as hormone supplement therapy and osteoporosis prevention." These issues have yet to be incorporated into the thinking of Taiwan's medical establishment.
Every woman will go through menopause. Therefore, a clear line must be drawn between illness and menopause. Let the medical world be responsible for any illness, while giving women the right to share their experiences.
I pledge not to put an "anti-medicine" label on feminism. I wish to reawaken professional conscience to attend to women's needs instead of generating new illnesses.
Chang Chueh is associate professor at the Graduate Institute of Health Policy and Management and a researcher with the Women's Research Program of the Population and Gender Study Center, National Taiwan University.
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