Final answer:
Women's lives are medicalized at various stages, such as menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause. The medicalization of pregnancy and childbirth has been contentious, with the effectiveness of medical interventions compared to social support. Access to non-medical birth care may be limited for women of lower social classes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Using a life course perspective, women's lives are medicalized at various stages. Throughout history, many aspects of women's lives have been medicalized, such as menstruation, premenstrual syndrome, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause. This process of medicalization involves redefining these normal aspects of life as deviant and in need of medical attention. For example, the medicalization of pregnancy and childbirth has been controversial, with some women choosing natural childbirth methods over medical interventions. It has been found that social support during childbirth can be just as effective as medical support in relieving pain and anxiety. Access to quality birth care outside of traditional medical models may not be readily available to women of all social classes.