“I wish to begin with a defense of the term 'climacterium' which has made its way into medical dictionaries only very recently. The word was probably so neglected because of its hybrid, incorrect formation. It is derived from the word 'climacter', which means the 'round (or the bout) of the ladder'; thus, 'climacteric' refers to something or somebody being around the top of the ladder and starting on the way down. Hence the popular term 'change of life' is a meaningful translation of the medically often used, if linguistically haphazard, climacterium. It designates a particular period in life characterized by the termination of the reproductive period in women and is usually associated with the gradual cessation of the menstrual function—the menopause.” Climacterium: A Developmental Phase Therese Benedek, M.D (1950). Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 19:1-27
http://www.pep-web.org/document.php?id=PAQ.019.0001A

Tanya Ury has many scars on her body, traces of past pain; Laurel Jay Carpenter says she has no such wounds. Ury’s scars are healed over; there are no longer traces of blood. Ury is in the menopause; her blood does not flow – she is aware of a sense of disembodiment. Carpenter is at a premenopausal stage. They are 56 and 39 years old respectively. In the art world there is a great silence surrounding the subject of menopause.

Tanya Ury