Factors and consequences of husband\u27s responses to their wive\u27s experiences with menopause

Since the ICPD Cairo in 1994, husbands support to the health concerns of their wives, particularly reproductive health has been emphasized. However, researches conducted on this area focused mostly on family planning. Studies regarding husbands support to their wives experiencing menopause, which is an important component of women\u27s reproductive health, are scant particularly in the Philippine setting. Hence, this qualitative study aimed to describe the various responses of selected husbands in a rural town of Leyte to their wives experiences with menopause and examined the factors influencing their responses. The consequences of such responses on their wives experiences with menopause were likewise investigated. Fifteen (15) husbands were purposively chosen through a non-probability sampling particularly through personal contacts and referrals from informants. In-depth interviews were conducted using an interview guide. Considering that the study is qualitative in nature, the data collected were analyzed through the formulation of common themes and patterns. The study revealed that menopause is generally perceived as a natural event in a woman\u27s life as it is inevitably a part of her life, but at the same time a challenge to a marriage and as some of the changes in a woman namely, irritability and decreased sexual desire become sources of clashes and fights between a couple. It is also perceived as a challenge to a woman\u27s health due to the onset of symptoms that were not observed on wives before. Likewise, the study revealed that husbands perceptions of menopause are not largely influenced by traditional local beliefs but by personal factors, particularly what they know and understand about the nature of menopause and the observed actual experiences of their wives with the transition. Husbands perceptions of their wives experiences with the transition influenced their provision of support to the physical and psychological manifestations and symptoms of their wives with menopause. The findings, however, showed that the severity of the symptoms of their wives also affected husbands provision of support. Results also showed that the key informants extend support to their wives at this stage ultimately because of their love and concern for their wives. The study also indicated that their wives appreciate the actions undertaken by the key informants and that, such actions of the husbands relieve their wives from the pain and discomfort that the experiences of menopause bring, and ultimately make their wives feel better