Situations connected with perceived loss of femininity: menopause and mastectomy – changes in perceiving oneself as a woman

Introduction: Menopause is often associated with the loss of one of the physical attributes of femininity. Its occurrence may in-duce changes in the self-image. Similarly, the breasts are inextricably linked with femininity, and their amputation in cancer patients leads to a profound sense of loss and the need to adapt to a new situation. Both these situations can lead to similar psychological effects.

Aim of the study: To determine whether there is a change in the perception of femininity in women who have experienced menopause or mastectomy, and whether their self-assessment differs from that of healthy pre-menopausal women.

Material and methods: We studied 71 women in three groups: women after menopause, women after mastectomy (study groups), and pre-menopausal healthy women (control group). The study groups filled in the ACL test by Gough and Heilbrun twice, in relation to the questions: What a woman are you presently?, What a woman were you before menopause / amputation of the breast? The control group was tested once with the first question.

Results: The results indicate no changes in the perceived self-image in study groups between tested situations, although a comparison with the control group indicates that women after menopause or mastectomy are more withdrawn, dependent, insecure and secretive, with a lesser sense of self-efficacy when compared to healthy women.

Conclusions: Occurrence of similar defense mechanisms is probable in women after mastectomy and menopause, allowing them to deny the negative changes in the self-image, through adjustment of the retrospective self-image to the current one.