Discourse about menopause in selected print media

Objective: In Western societies, menopause has negative connotations with variable effects for women at midlife. To assess the power of the stereotype, selected popular print media were surveyed for their depiction of menopause. Method: Ten years' output of two daily newspapers and four women's magazines was surveyed for menopause-related copy. Both content and discourse analyses were applied to quantify retrieved copy (using SPSS) end identify dominant discourse (using NUD.IST). Results: A database of 302 items was analysed. No consistency in reporting trends was found although there were thematic peaks for 'menopause' in the late 1980s and 'hormone replacement therapy' three years later. With few exceptions, discourse about menopause drew on and reinforced schemata of ill-health, psychological disturbance, vulnerability, decrepitude, biological determinism and disease management. Conclusions:The limited discourse about menopause in the surveyed media was characterised by strong themes of illness, medical management and fear. A general perception that menopause affects women's health and competence from midlife was reflected by this public discourse. Implications: Public health awareness that menopause is not synonymous with dysfunction will contribute to a paradigmatic shift in public discourse that affords value to all of women's lifespan, not just the procreative.