Lived Experience and Perceptions of Menopause Among Patients Participating in the Multidisciplinary Care Pathways at Paris Saint-Joseph Hospital (REVE)

Menopause, often reduced to its biological aspects, is increasingly studied through medical, psychological, social, and cultural lenses. Women's experiences vary widely depending on context-country, era, and social status. Their perceptions are ambivalent: while some associate menopause with the end of fertility and burdensome physical symptoms (hot flashes, joint pain, sleep disorders, mood swings, brain fog, vaginal dryness, low libido, weight gain), others see it as a liberating phase, free from reproductive expectations. Surprisingly, 87% of women report a positive experience of menopause itself, though the transitional phase is less well-tolerated (78%).

In France, where women's life expectancy is 87, they spend a third of their lives post-menopause. Yet, menopause remains a taboo subject. While 87% of women aged 50-65 experience at least one symptom beyond the cessation of menstruation, 25% suffer severe symptoms. The silence around menopause is striking: 48% of women under 50 find it difficult to discuss, 39% of pre-menopausal women feel anxious, 46% have never discussed it with their partner, and only 61% have consulted a healthcare professional. This silence stems from outdated sexist views, societal valorization of youth, lack of intergenerational dialogue, and insufficient targeted health policies, leading to isolation and invisibility.

Medical support often focuses on a biomedical model, particularly Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), which remains controversial since the 2002 WHI study. Only 2.5% of French women over 45 currently use HRT, and 45.4% view it negatively. However, women's experiences extend far beyond hormonal concerns.

To address these gaps, multidisciplinary programs-such as those at Paris Saint-Joseph Hospital and Toulouse University Hospital-offer group-based approaches, addressing physical, psychological, and relational dimensions. These programs provide a much-needed space for exchange, often absent in traditional care. Research on the benefits of collective discussion spaces (in-person or digital) in menopause care is limited, making it relevant to explore how these programs influence women's perceptions of menopause, their bodies, and their healthcare journey. While qualitative studies have examined individual experiences, few have focused on the dynamics of shared dialogue.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Menopause
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Focus Group

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 24

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Juliette Courtiade Mahler, PhD; Phone Number: +33144127963; Email: jcourtiade@ghpsj.fr

Study Locations

• France
  • Paris, France, 75014
    • Hopital Paris Saint Joseph
    • Contact: Juliette Courtiade Mahler, PhD; Phone Number: +33144127963; Email: jcourtiade@ghpsj.fr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Women participating in the multidisciplinary program offered at the Paris Saint Joseph Hospital and fulfilling the eligibility criteria

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Women
• Between age 45 and age 60
• French speaking
• participating in the multidisciplinary program offered a the Paris Saint Joseph Hospital
• Patient who does not object to the use of these data for research purposes

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient under guardianship or conservatorship
• Patient deprived of liberty (incarcerated or institutionalized)
• Patient under judicial protection

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Identify women's specific Experience and Perceptions of Menopause	1 day

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Fondation Hôpital Saint-Joseph
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Akila LAZRI, MD, Fondation Hôpital Saint-Joseph

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): May 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): November 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 25, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 25, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 4, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 4, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 25, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Investigative Techniques; Epidemiologic Methods; Data Collection; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Public Health; Environment and Public Health; Focus Groups
• Other Study ID Numbers: 825_REVE

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No