(125) Menopause: Politics of Performative

Abstract Introduction Menopause is increasingly discussed in the context of ageing Western populations and rising life expectancy. Beyond its biomedical dimension, menopause can be viewed as a socio-scientific construct serving to perpetuate gender inequalities. This review explores the historical, scientific and political foundations of menopause as a performative category. Objective This work aims to challenge the current scientific model of menopause, given that it is based on the attribution of a gender to steroid hormones, and on the definition of hormonal deficiency using the endocrine functioning of young, fertile women as a biological reference point. Methods A non-systematic review of scientific and non-scientific literature was conducted without date restrictions on PubMed, Google Scholar, Google with the keyword’s menopause, steroid hormones, adrenal puberty, dehydroepiandrosterone, neurosteroides, the sex of hormone, molecularization of gender, myokines. Results The neologism menopause was coined in 1816 by Parisian physician Charles de Gardanne. From the 19th century onwards almost any symptom in middle-aged women was attributed to the cessation of menstruation. The biomedical definition of menopause reinforced stereotype legitimizing the exclusion of women from education and civil rights, which persisted in France until women’s suffrage in 1945. The discovery of endocrine mechanisms by Staring in 1905 and then the subsequent isolation of estrone by Allen and Doisy initiated the hormone-centered model of ageing. The attribution of a gender to steroid hormones, although challenged by Bernhard Zondek, would be the cornerstone of future sexual discrimination. The legitimization of women’s fragility is enshrined in biological norms, which take the sex hormones` values of youth as a reference point and apply them to all women regardless of age. However, emerging research highlights alternative perspectives: the role of adrenal steroids present in both sexes since adrenarche, and the discovery of myokines, positioning skeletal muscle as an active endocrine organ. The discovery of neurosteroids in the 1980s challenges the validity of assigning a gender to sex steroids and about the alleged neurological role of sex steroids. Conclusions Menopause liberates women from reproductive constraints and associated pathologies. In a context where women possess equal civil rights and qualification, this transition challenges patriarchal norms within professional and political spheres. The decline in ovarian sex steroids may have a limited impact on health compared to the influence of social determinants and given especially the discovery of myokines and their role in overall health. Reconceptualizing menopause in this light invites a shift away from reductionist, ovary-centered models towards a broader understanding of ageing that integrates biological diversity, gender politics and social context. Disclosure No.