Raising Awareness of the Burden of Menopause
Honors Capstone Project
1
Advisor(s)
Rema Suniga, Ph.D.
Confirmation
1
Document Type
Paper
Location
ONU McIntosh Center; Wishing Well
Start Date
21-4-2026 4:10 PM
End Date
21-4-2026 4:25 PM
Abstract
Menopause, defined as the point in time at which 12 consecutive months have passed without menstruation, brings about a wide range of hormonal changes that can place a significant physical, mental, and emotional burden upon a female. The historical exclusion of female health issues such as menopause from medical research studies has resulted in this period of life becoming something that many patients experience fear when openly speaking about or seeking medical care for. Current health guidelines for this stage of life are vague and often contradicting, leading to confusion and frustration among patients. A literature review into existing guidelines was done in order to consolidate patient recommendations. This information was then presented to a group of menopause patients through a community seminar discussing symptom coping strategies. Here, the burden of menopause was addressed, as well as recommended lifestyle changes to relieve symptoms, with the goal of reducing the stigma around open menopause discussions and removing the barrier for education about clinically proven healthcare guidelines. Finally, a lecture about the changes associated with older female reproductive health will be given to a group of students in Medical Physiology II. This lecture aims to spread general awareness about challenges that females face throughout menopause, with the idea that raising public awareness of menopause-related health concerns will allow females at that stage of life to feel more comfortable seeking help and support from their loved ones, medical teams, and wider community.
Recommended Citation
Hampton, Faith, "Raising Awareness of the Burden of Menopause" (2026). ONU Student Research Colloquium. 19.
https://digitalcommons.onu.edu/student_research_colloquium/2026/Papers/19
Restricted
Available to ONU community via local IP address and ONU login.
Raising Awareness of the Burden of Menopause
ONU McIntosh Center; Wishing Well
Menopause, defined as the point in time at which 12 consecutive months have passed without menstruation, brings about a wide range of hormonal changes that can place a significant physical, mental, and emotional burden upon a female. The historical exclusion of female health issues such as menopause from medical research studies has resulted in this period of life becoming something that many patients experience fear when openly speaking about or seeking medical care for. Current health guidelines for this stage of life are vague and often contradicting, leading to confusion and frustration among patients. A literature review into existing guidelines was done in order to consolidate patient recommendations. This information was then presented to a group of menopause patients through a community seminar discussing symptom coping strategies. Here, the burden of menopause was addressed, as well as recommended lifestyle changes to relieve symptoms, with the goal of reducing the stigma around open menopause discussions and removing the barrier for education about clinically proven healthcare guidelines. Finally, a lecture about the changes associated with older female reproductive health will be given to a group of students in Medical Physiology II. This lecture aims to spread general awareness about challenges that females face throughout menopause, with the idea that raising public awareness of menopause-related health concerns will allow females at that stage of life to feel more comfortable seeking help and support from their loved ones, medical teams, and wider community.