Women--Health and hygiene

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of what happens when partners participate in the Partner Breast Exam Program. A qualitative research design, using a grounded theory approach was used to understand the perspective of the couples participating in "Men Can Too" a Partner Breast Exam program. This approach was chosen because the experience of participation in Partner Breast Exam is "unchartered territory." Preliminary findings suggest that the process of partnering results in a synergy between the couples. The three processes that comprise the Dynamics of a Synergistic Couple include: Sharing, Dyad: Male/Female Interaction, and Motivation. Partnering, by removing barriers such as fear, can promote a shared journey toward health for a couple, where they become synergistic partners in health, when they share the burden.

In the 1960s and 70s, menopause was actively promoted by some members of the medical profession as a debilitating disease. The promotion extended from medical journals to popular books and magazines. Despite these efforts, by the 1980's and 90's, the medicalization of menopause has not been an unequivocal success. Using Conrad and Schneider's theory of the Medicalization of Deviance as a framework for my discussion, I provide evidence that medicalization is only partially successful. The promoters of the concept of menopause as a disease have succeeded in formulating this definition, have been partially successful in institutionalizing it, and failed to implement their goal of treating all menopausal women with estrogen.