Resisting the Medicalisation of Menopause: Reclaiming the Body through Design

Title of the Paper

Resisting the Medicalization of Menopause: Reclaiming the Body Through Design

Bibliographic Information

• Subject Areas: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Women's Health, Social Justice, Design Research
• Keywords: Menopause, Women's Health, Feminist Studies, Soma Design, Participatory Design

Research Background and Issues

• Identified Problems or Challenges:

  • Western biomedical discourse defines menopause as a hormonal deficiency and over-medicalizes it, framing it as a medical issue requiring pharmaceutical control. This medicalized narrative neglects the social context of menopause, devalues women's bodily experiences, and exacerbates age- and gender-based marginalization.
  • Medicalization reduces menopause to a set of "symptoms," denying its rich and diverse lived experiences. These definitions reinforce oppressive constructs of ideal health and "normal bodies," imposing additional burdens on women.

• Significance:

  • Menopause is a life stage experienced by half of humanity, and its medicalization impacts societal acceptance of bodily changes, further exacerbating gender and age-based social injustices.
  • Medicalization is not only a medical issue but also a social issue, closely tied to health, aging, and gender equality.

• Research Motivation and Related Work:

  • Viewing menopause as a social justice issue, this study employs feminist design methods to explore how design can empower individuals to "resist" medicalization.
  • The research builds upon and extends recent explorations in the HCI field on menopause, including studies on defining technological support, critical design, and user needs assessment.

Proposed Solution

• Proposed Approach or Solution:

  • Utilizing participatory design and Soma Design methodologies, the study establishes partnerships with individuals experiencing menopause to design interactive prototypes that support their bodily experiences.
  • The research proposes a methodology to reclaim bodily agency through design, enabling individuals experiencing menopause to embrace and transform their bodily experiences, thereby resisting the restrictive framework of medicalization.

• Innovations:

  • Direct interaction with spatiotemporal contexts: The design focuses on engaging with the body rather than digitizing or reducing it to a list of symptoms.
  • Positioning guided design as a tool for "resistance": For example, transforming menopausal experiences into opportunities for personal exploration through design concepts, rather than merely attempting to resolve or conceal "discomfort."

• Implementation Steps and Key Techniques:

  1. Data Collection: Collecting personal stories and bodily experiences of menopause through interviews and workshops; the research method emphasizes a slow, trust-building process.
  2. Design Workshops: Inviting participants to reflect on their bodies using body mapping and the Feldenkrais Method, leading to the creation of design prototypes that interact with bodily experiences.
  3. Prototype Design:
     • Cocoon Device: A cooling device with a flexible structure that adapts to the body, helping users alleviate anxiety in a rhythmic manner.
     • Spike Mat: Provides a nighttime massage experience to relieve muscle and joint pain while maintaining sleep quality.
  4. Iteration and Analysis: Refining concepts, materials, and final functionalities based on participant feedback during the design process.

Research Outcomes

• Specific Results:

  • Design Prototype Concepts: Two key devices—Cocoon and Spike Mat—were developed to support bodily anxiety and improve sleep quality. These devices aim to embrace and transform bodily experiences rather than merely serving as tools to "solve problems."
  • Redefinition and Transformation of Bodily Experiences: Through design, participants were guided to start from self-acceptance, reexamine, and create inner spaces to support introspection, rest, and the reconstruction of self-identity.

• Advantages Over Existing Solutions:

  • Unlike commercial "symptom tracking" and medicalized treatments, the proposed designs emphasize the integration of personal experiences with social contexts, avoiding further erosion of users' acceptance of bodily changes.
  • The designs are rooted in bodily proximity and perception, supporting participants in deeply reflecting on and positively embracing their experiences, rather than merely offering instrumental solutions.

• Experimental or Evaluation Results:

  • Interviews and design processes revealed that menopausal experiences are highly socialized, with bodily changes closely tied to social roles, family pressures, and internalized cultural expectations.
  • Prototype testing indicated that participants recognized the value of the designs in supporting the acceptance of bodily changes and appreciated their alignment with psychological and physical needs.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • Limitations: The diversity of participants was limited, excluding broader social and gender groups (e.g., transgender individuals).
  • Future Directions:
    1. Expand the cultural and demographic diversity of the study to include marginalized communities such as transgender and non-binary individuals.
    2. Continue exploring "slow technology" and long-term support technologies, shifting the design process from short-term problem-solving to experience companionship and holistic life transformation.
    3. Promote supportive interactive designs in public and workplace environments, enabling more people to connect with their bodily experiences without barriers.

Conclusion

This study makes a pioneering contribution to reshaping perceptions of menopause through the intersection of design and social justice. By focusing on women's self-awareness and acceptance of their bodies, the research challenges the medicalized framework of this life stage and provides a roadmap for future design and social support technologies.