Choosing Between Mainstream and Complementary Treatments in Menopause : the Role of Media, Advertising and Women's Perceptions

Abstract

The general purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how women make choices for complementary or mainstream medicines. The author has extensive experience in Fiji and noticed an observed trend of more Australian citizens choosing complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as a form of medical treatment compared with a decline in CAM use by Fijian citizens. This study investigates the media-related context of this observed trend, as well as women’s personal choices when making decisions about treatments for menopause. Women are the most frequent users of CAM and symptoms presented during the perimenopausal years are often a reason to seek “natural remedies,” such as CAM treatment.

Date of Award	12 Oct 2013
Original language	English
Sponsors	University of Melbourne
Supervisor	Mieke L. Van Driel (Supervisor) & Marie Pirotta (Supervisor)