COMMUNICATION GUARDRAILS TO MENOPAUSAL CHALLENGES: A STUDY OF SELECTED MARRIAGES IN PORT HARCOURT CITY RIVERS STATE

Abstract

Menopause is a necessary stage in human marriage, majorly a woman's affair, it means a natural
decline in reproductive hormones when a woman reaches her 40s or 50s. It is characterised by 12
months of non-menstrual flow, poor interest in conjugal relationship, emotional imbalance,
stoppage of procreation in women among others. These developments are capable of creating
gaps and threatening the foundations of marriages. To properly navigate the difficult terrains
associated with the menopausal stage, effective communication is required between couples to
reduce the misunderstandings that emerge during menopause, and to promote empathy, peaceful
and healthy cohabitation. This study sought to crystalize the communication guardrails that can be
adopted by families to keep marriages afloat and healthy when menopause sets in. The study
adopted the survey method, and used the Cochran's Sample Size Calculator to arrive at the
sample size. Questionnaire and interviews were used to gather data while the simple percentage
and Miles and Huberman's templates were used for analysis. The study concluded that many
couples in Port Harcourt City did not understand the importance of communication in navigating
the challenges of menopause, it therefore recommended that couples should adopt open,
transparent and solution-driven communication tools, maintain trust and collaboration during
menopause in order to ensure closeness and healthy marriage.