CALLING ALL MENOPAUSAL WOMEN!
My next book is looking at the stories of menopause. Menopause is a hot topic gaining more awareness in society, with the new UK government Menopause Taskforce currently looking at overhauling policy and practice, to improve menopause support and care, increase access to treatment, and tackle ‘the taboos and stigmas that still surround conversations about the menopause’ (gov.uk, 2023).
I am interested in finding out more about women’s lived experiences of the menopause, and gathering a diverse range of stories. The aim of the research is to present a body of collaboratively produced hybrid life writing, as a form of an evocative auto/ethnography, which expands our understanding of women’s lived experience of menopause in 21st century UK.
I’m looking for interviewees – WOMEN FROM ALL STAGES OF THE MENOPAUSE (PERIMENOPAUSE, MENOPAUSE AND POST MENOPAUSE) who would like to share their stories.
Interviews can either be conducted in person or over a video call. Your interview will be anonymised.
I want to include a kaleidoscope of experience including:
- Perimenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal experiences;
- Women detailing their physical and emotional symptoms and impact on relationships;
- Menopause and sexuality;
- Women’s experience of accessing HRT;
- Women who chose natural remedies instead of HRT;
- Women who naturally started menopause very early (e.g. 30s);
- Women with a medically induced menopause due to ill health (e.g. ovaries removed due to cancer);
- The end of childbearing years from the perspective of women who are childfree at menopause and those who are mothers;
- Women’s changing identities through the process;
- Women’s experience of societal expectations and norms during menopause.
- Women’s experience of menopause-related impact on employment and other responsibilities;
- Women who view their menopause as unchallenging;
- A diverse range of menopausal experience across different socio-economic, cultural and ethnic groups, including disabled women and LGBQT+ groups.
The book, Storying the Menopause: An evocative auto/ethnography, will be published by Routledge in 2026.
If you’re interested in finding out more about being interviewed for this project, please email me at shanta.everington1@open.ac.uk
YOU WILL BE SENT AN INFORMATION SHEET WITH FURTHER DETAILS AND WE CAN THEN ARRANGE A PHONE CHAT IF YOU ARE STILL INTERESTED. (MAKING AN INITIAL ENQUIRY DOES NOT COMMIT YOU TO TAKE PART.)
I am carrying out this project as a Research Affiliate with The Open University. This work has been reviewed by, and received a favourable opinion, from the OU Human Research Ethics Committee- HREC reference number: 2024-0269-3.
(Photo by Suzy Hazelwood)
shanta everington 