Women, menopause, and (Ms.)information: communication about the climacteric.

This research utilizes a communication perspective to examine the dissemination of information about menopause in terms of women's attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge. Specifically, this study uses a grounded theory approach (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) to explore the communicative processes of misinformation concerning women's lived experiences in relation to the climacteric. Five emergent themes extracted from premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women's discourse are identified and described through qualitative data analysis. Findings suggest that due to a lack of consistent communication, women are generally either unknowledgeable or misinformed about menopause and its related issues. Inaccurate information concerning a health-related experience that all women undergo has negative implications for women, their practitioners, and society. Moreover, a clearer understanding of women's experiences concerning menopause may enhance communication in physician-patient interactions (PPIs).