(GPB News) – When it comes to reproductive health, there’s ample information about menstruation and pregnancy, but, as women age, information gets harder to find, according to a new study from Georgia Tech.
Hormone changes in menopausal women can cause hot flashes and mood swings that impact daily life and work, but there’s little research available, and stigma keeps many people silent and alone, study co-authors said.
The paper by Naveena Karusala, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Interactive Computing, and graduate student Umme Ammara, is based on a study they conducted with women in urban Pakistan experiencing menopause.
“Women’s health is understudied in general, but menopause is more neglected than other women’s health issues,” Karusala said in a news release.
They interviewed a number of women about their experiences with menopause, paying attention to how the experience was shaped by different environments such as home, work or when navigating the health care system.
The study shows that while opportunities exist to talk about menopause online and with family members in the home, the workplace can be a generative place to discuss issues related to women’s health.
“Because it really opens up your opportunity to socialize with a wider range of people,” Karusala said. “There might be, you know, other women in your workplace going through the same thing.”
Questions about willingness to share data and participate in research will be addressed in future studies.
