Abstract

LEYVA-MORAL, Juan Manuel. The menopause and immigrant Equadorian women: a natural experience in the hands of others. Index Enferm [online]. 2013, vol.22, n.4, pp.204-208. ISSN 1699-5988.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S1132-12962013000300003.

Introduction: The menopause has been described as a medical problem in many Western countries. Contrarily, the menopause is considered a normal biological process by social scientists who argue that the experience of the menopause is individual and shaped by cultural factors. Purpose: to understand the experience of the menopause among Ecuadorian immigrant women living in Barcelona (Spain). Design: Qualitative study using the hermeneutic phenomenology perspective. Thirteen Ecuadorian menopausal women were interviewed in their home during 2008-2009. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the hermeneutic process. Results: Four inter-related themes were identified: a natural experience, being a woman, my sexuality in the hands of others, being vs. feeling old. Conclusion: The menopause among Ecuadorian immigrant women appears to be a natural event full of false myths and taboos dominated by biomedicine and the social context.

Keywords : Immigration; Women; Menopause; Phenomenology; Qualitative Research.