Ethical Considerations in Research and Medical Care of Menopause

Abstract

Menopause is the permanent cessation of menstruation, and among the main symptoms reported have been night sweats, heat waves, increased body fat at the central level, dyslipidemia, hypertension, osteoporosis, insulin resistance, diabetes, mild cognitive impairment, depression, periodontitis, varicose veins, apnea, urinary genital discomfort, as well as dryness in the mouth and eye. The diagnosis, study, and care of menopausal or postmenopausal women have had great advances, such as recognizing the sub-inclusion of women and female animal models in basic and clinical studies and proposing in the same design of the study the analysis by sex. Subsequently, the need for specialized ethical training was identified, beginning in undergraduate, postgraduate, and clinical practice. To achieve this, several actions were carried out, such as the foundation of Women's Health Institutes, the implementation of the Institutional and Private Committees of Ethic, and the development of validated instruments to evaluate signs and symptoms. Currently, there is no consensus that meets the ethical requirements for care and research in these patients. Efforts have been made practically by pathology, without considering together the social and psychobiological condition. What is intended in this document is to present the ethical aspects related to the study and medical care of women in menopause.