Women in transition workshop

While the menopause is commonly understood as a ‘hormone deficiency’, numerous studies have shown that the menopause is not solely a biological phenomenon, but is influenced by environmental, social, and cultural factors. Given the variation in menopause experience and its complexity, how to best support women through this transition is a considerable societal challenge. It is our belief that this question can only be tackled through an interdisciplinary approach. The workshop ‘Women in Transition’ seeks to build the groundwork for such interdisciplinary collaboration, drawing insights from the fields of medicine, sociology, communication and literature. The questions driving the workshop is about the role of biological, sociological and cultural factors in the menopausal experience, and how this insight can be used to facilitate the work of medical researchers and practitioners.

The workshop will be structured ‘from the macro to the micro’: from large quantitative population studies, through quantitative/qualitative data gathered in organisations, to individual experiences expressed in literary works. Through this structure, the workshop will focus on the synergies between different disciplinary approaches, identifying the ways in which medical, sociological and humanistic approaches can help overcome some of the challenges of the menopause and shed some light on its complexity.

13.00 – 13.45
Welcome
A short cultural history of the menopause Consultant Ella Fegitz, PhD
Menopause – an unusual aging phenomenon Kaare Christensen, MD, PhD, Professor, Danish Aging Research Center, SDU
Introduction to the molecular and cellular biology of Estrogen action on target organs Moustapha Kassem, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Endocrinology, OUH

13.45 - 14.00
Postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy for health maintenance during aging: Is it possible? Laura K. Kaltoft, MD, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen
Emma G. Christensen, MD, Bispebjerg hospital, Copenhagen

14.00 - 14.15
Menopause and medicine Ellen Løkkegaard, MD, PhD, Professor, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hillerød 

14.15 - 14.30
Menopause in General Practice Jens Søndergaard, General Practitioner, Professor, The Research Unit for General Practice, SDU

14.30 - 14.45
Menopause in the Media in Denmark Sasja Krogh, PhD Candidate, Department of Culture and Language, SDU

14.45 - 15.00
The Uses of the Menopause Novel Anne Marie Mai, Professor, Department of Culture and Language, SDU Peter Simonsen, Professor of European Literature, Department of Culture and Language, SDU

15.00 - 15.30
Roundtable discussion: the limitations of monodisciplinary approaches to the menopause and how can interdisciplinarity help overcoming them? 
Q&A

The workshop is open for all interested participants.