Most women face changes in their roles as their children leave home in midlife. This can be a time of introspection or depression. Women face challenges like age discrimination and coming to terms with infertility after menopause. Menopause typically lasts 1-10 years and causes physiological changes like hot flashes and sleep disturbances. Preventative health measures like exercise can help reduce bone loss and maintain health in midlife.

1. Chapter 26: Midlife and
Menopause
By Steve Hewitt

2. A Different Way of Life
• Most women face a midlife point where their
roles change. E.g. Their kids leave and they’re no
longer actively mothering them.
• Some face midlife with renewed energy where
others feel restless.
• There can be great satisfaction with a life well
lived, or a creeping depression and feelings of
emptiness.
• This can be a time of great introspection.

3. The Major Challenges
• Women face age discrimination earlier in life
than men due to our society’s focus on beauty.
• After menopause women must come to terms
with the fact that they can’t have children.
• Some children may have trouble leaving the
nest, causing additional stresses.
• Relationships may crumble (divorce, etc.) and
she will have to deal with the death of her
parents at some point.

4. Relationships strained
• Demands for attention come from all sides:
▫ Children are growing up, but will still need their
mother’s advice and support.
▫ Elderly parents may need added care and
supervision, and will want to be close to their
loved ones in their twilight years.
▫ If she has a partner, aging may change how they
interact. More or less intimacy? New roles?
▫ Raising grandchildren can be exciting, or stressful
depending on her attitudes.

5. An Example (P. 530)
“I was in my late 30s and my other children were
all in high school, when one of my daughters
developed a drug problem and I had to take her
two little ones to raise. I was afraid I couldn’t
do it, but I felt it was my responsibility. I didn’t
want them to go to foster care. I arranged for
day care so I could keep my job. The kids do see
her sometimes. They think of her as an aunt. I
am proud that both of my grandkids are doing
well now, and that I was able to raise them.”

6. Menopause: “The Change”
• Period stop altogether, bringing an end to many
of the worries that come with them.
• It can start at any age from 40 to 60 and still be
considered normal.
• Hormone levels drop, causing physiological
changes. Some women welcome these and
others are upset by them.
• The symptoms of the menopause change
typically last 1-10 years.

7. Well…. What Changes?
• PMS symptoms may temporarily become more
pronounced and periods may vary in length.
• Women experience hot flashes or night sweats.
▫ These are a reaction to changes in the brain.
▫ Many methods help reduce them (see p. 533)
• Sleep can become disturbed and may become
severe enough to require a trip to the doctor.
• Dryness can lead to vaginal pain, and this may
cause women to avoid sex altogether.

8. More About Changes
• Women may also experience a potentially
embarrassing loss of bladder control.
▫ This can be triggered by heavy lifting, straining or
even laughing.
▫ There are some medical solutions (p. 536)
• Sexual desire can be lost, although in other cases
it becomes greatly decreased.
• Memory loss is common, as is depression.
• Abnormal or continuous bleeding may occur.

9. Reducing the Effects of Menopause
• Hormonal therapies can be used to relieve
menopausal discomforts or symptoms of aging.
• There hasn’t been sufficient research into these
products to evaluate all the consequences of use.
• Drugs like SERMs and bisphosphonates help
combat bone density loss.
• Treatments can cause numerous complications
including increased symptoms, mood swings
and dry eyes.

10. Sex at Midlife
• As stated before, desire can either increase or
decrease. As can enjoyment of sex.
• Birth control methods are still important until
periods have stopped completely, and STDs can
still be contracted at any age.
• Estrogen, testosterone or drugs may be
prescribed to try and increase desire or arousal.
• Sexual preferences may also change, and long-
lasting relationships may develop new patterns.

11. Preventative Health Measures
• Regular physical activity helps maintain muscle
and bone mass.
• Bone density loss is a serious threat! Combat it
with calcium-rich healthy diet.
• Weight-bearing exercise also helps keep bones
strong.
• Eyesight changes due to changes in ocular
elasticity. It may become easier to see at a
distance and glasses prescriptions can change.

12. Social and Political Issues
• Ageism can hold women back in our beauty-first
society, but a lifetime of experience has value.
• Older women face disproportionally higher rates
of poverty and are paid less for their labor.
• A health insurance gap exists when women are
too young for Medicare, but not poor enough for
Medicaid.
• Women bothered by these and other issues can
turn to support groups like AARP for help.

13. For Class Discussion:
• Aging can be an extremely
difficult time for all
women, but there are some
groups that have it even
tougher. Describe the unique
challenges aging poses to one
of the following groups:
▫ Women with disabilities.
▫ Single women.
▫ Women in poverty.
▫ Lesbian and/or transgender
women.