The mediating role of negative attitudes toward menopause between benevolent sexist attitudes and irritability of perimenopausal women

The role of sexism in the menopausal process and symptoms has not been thoroughly investigated in the literature. In this context, we aim to test whether ambivalent sexism predicts irritability through negative attitudes toward menopause in perimenopausal women. Accordingly, 223 perimenopausal women (<i>X̅_age</i>= 46.90) living in Turkey were included in the study sample. Our findings of the mediation analyses showed that negative attitudes toward menopause mediated the relationship between benevolent sexism (not hostile sexism) and irritability. Therefore, we suggested that benevolent sexism may have implicit and long-lasting negative effects on symptoms during perimenopause by instilling negative attitudes toward menopause, which is one of women's developmental transitions.