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Lived Experience and Perceptions of Menopause Among Patients Participating in the Multidisciplinary Care Pathways at Paris Saint-Joseph Hospital

NCT07447947 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 24

Last updated 2026-03-04

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

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 This silence stems from outdated sexist views, societal valorization of youth, lack of intergenerational dialogue, and insufficient targeted health policies, leading to isolation and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.

Conditions

Interventions

OTHER

Focus Group

Women will participate in a focus group to discuss their Experiences and Perceptions of Menopause

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Fondation Hôpital Saint-Joseph

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Akila LAZRI, MD · Fondation Hôpital Saint-Joseph

Eligibility

Min Age
45 Years
Max Age
60 Years
Sex
FEMALE
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-05-31
Primary Completion
2026-11-30
Completion
2027-03-31

Countries

  • France

Study Locations

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Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07447947 on ClinicalTrials.gov