REINFORMING THE END OF FERTILITY: THE ROLE OF NURSES IN WOMEN'S HEALTH CARE DURING MENOPAUSE

Abstract

The climacteric is a natural biological phase characterized by hormonal, physical, emotional, and social changes that can significantly affect women's quality of life. This study aimed to identify nursing actions in Primary Health Care directed toward women during the climacteric and to investigate women's knowledge regarding the transformations experienced during this period. This is an integrative literature review conducted using the LILACS, MEDLINE, and BDENF databases. Initially, the time frame included studies published between 2021 and 2025; however, due to the scarcity of publications specifically addressing the topic, it was expanded to cover the period from 2017 to 2025. After applying the eligibility criteria, 12 studies were selected for the final sample. The results showed that many women have insufficient knowledge about the climacteric and menopause, often associating this period with feelings of insecurity, fear, and loss of femininity. The findings also revealed that nurses perform actions related to nursing consultations, health education, welcoming care, qualified listening, and the promotion of self-care. However, challenges remain, including insufficient professional training, the absence of specific protocols, and the limited visibility of the climacteric in healthcare practices. It is concluded that nurses play an important role in health promotion and in strengthening women's autonomy, making it necessary to expand educational actions, professional training, and service organization to ensure comprehensive, humanized, and needs-based care for climacteric women.