Social and Self-Perceptions of Middle-Aged Women in the Menopausal Transition: Ageism, Sexism, and Attractiveness—A Scoping Review

Women’s health in middle age is influenced by the physical and hormonal changes associated with perimenopause and menopause, phenomena that have been extensively studied from a biological perspective. However, there remains a gap in our understanding of the sociocultural factors that affect this stage of life, especially regarding social perception, self-perception, and their consequences for social behaviour. This article presents a scoping review of the literature in the Web of Sciences and Scopus databases using PRISMA Guidelines for the period 2015–2025. Limitations include the exploration of only two databases and the inclusion of only articles, not books, theses, or other materials. The search focused on social prejudices and assessments of middle-aged women, linked to sexism and ageism, as well as the psychological, social, and cultural processes that have contributed to overcoming these issues in recent decades. Special relevance is given to the concept of attractiveness, analysing how external perception and self-perception of female attractiveness are shaped during this transition. Articles mainly centred on medical issues, or that did not include a social perspective, were excluded. The findings from 57 studies provide an understanding of the evolution of these representations and their implications for gender equality and the reduction in sexism and ageism.