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What the menopause is

The menopause is part of the natural ageing process in a woman’s life, usually occurring between the age of 45 and 55, and is medically said to have occurred when a woman’s menstrual cycle has ceased for 12 consecutive months. In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51.

In this Practice Note, the terms ‘menopause’ and ‘menopausal’ are used to cover:

1. •

   perimenopause, ie the period preceding the menopause when a woman’s hormonal levels begin to change, which usually begins from around the age of 45

2. •

   menopause, and

3. •

   the post-menopause period, ie the time after menopause has occurred, starting with when a woman has not had a period for a year

On average, menopause symptoms last between four and eight years, but for about 10% of women they can continue for up to 12 years. Symptoms can begin during the perimenopause and continue post-menopause; they