An interpretative phenomenological analysis of post-menopausal women's experiences of the menopause, its impact on their relationship and intimacy, and their coping methods

Background: The menopause is a time when women’s sexuality and sexual relationships can change because of the physical and psychological changes which occur. The number of post-menopausal women is rising and the proportion of their life which is lived post-menopause is also growing because of increased life expectancy. A literature review showed that there have been few qualitative studies of the sexual well-being of women in the menopause in terms of interpersonal relationships and the interaction of biological, psychological and social factors.
Aim: To explore post-menopausal women’s experiences of the menopause, the perceived impact which it can have on their interpersonal relationships and intimacy, and the coping methods which they used.
Methods: Semi-structured in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 post-menopausal women aged 47-60 who had experienced natural menopause and lived in different cities in the UK. Data were analysed following the procedure for IPA.
Findings: Five superordinate themes were developed: sexual changes during the menopause; coping methods for sexual changes; menopause, men and relationship; managing menopause symptoms; and the meaning, knowledge, talking about the menopause and influence of the menopause on women’s life.
A strong link was found between the menopause and the sexual changes experienced by the participants. Most participants had experienced many sexual changes. They used different coping methods to manage their sexual changes and tended to exhibit a negative attitude towards using medicine in general. All participants believed that the menopause had a huge impact on their relationships. Many participants reported using a variety of methods to deal with the menopausal symptoms and that they did not have sufficient knowledge about the menopause.
Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that the menopause is better understood in the context of women's lives interpersonal relationships, intimacy and many other aspects of women's lives.