Menopause

This natural phase—which broadly encompasses perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause—means a woman has stopped ovulating and can no longer get pregnant. The clinical definition requires a woman to go a whole year without bleeding or spotting to know she has hit menopause.

Postmenopause is the final stage of menopause. Once a woman hasn’t had her period for a full year, she is considered postmenopausal and will be for the rest of her life. While some of the intense symptoms she might experience during perimenopausal will decline, her risk for certain conditions and diseases will increase. This article explains what a woman can expect during the last stage of menopause.

Early menopause is when you reach menopause before the age of 45. While doctors can’t pinpoint an exact cause of early menopause, there are risk factors which increase a woman’s chances of entering this life stage sooner. Potential causes include smoking, autoimmune diseases, and some surgeries. Learn more about what can lead to early menopause with this guide.

Perimenopause (also referred to as the menopausal transition) is the time period when a woman’s body begins prepping for menopause. During this stage, the ovaries production of the reproductive hormones progesterone and estrogen decline. Plus, she’ll likely experience a slew of mental and physical symptoms. Typically women enter this stage in their mid-40s and stay in it for four years, but this varies from person to person. Learn more here.

Menopause has long been a topic left out of film and tv. But some shows, like “The Change,” and celebrities, like Jennie Garth, are now openly talking about it. This article breaks down how Hollywood is starting to come around to the menopause conversation and how celebrities are talking about their own personal experiences, as well as advocating on Capitol Hill. Read it here.

People tend to pay close attention to how menopause impacts a woman’s body, noting that it can increase her risk of certain diseases and conditions when she’s postmenopausal. But what about her brain? Lisa Mosconi, a neuroscientist studying the impact of menopause on the brain, explains in this TedTalk how menopause directly impacts a woman’s brain health. Watch it here.

Menopause is the second natural time in a woman’s life when her body goes through a whole transition. Unlike puberty, it isn’t talked about as much. In this podcast episode by Houston Methodist, the host speaks with a gynecologist with a specialization in menopausal medicine about what menopause really is, and how women and the people in their lives can navigate this next life stage. Listen here.

While scientists are unsure how many mammals actually experience menopause, they do know for sure that humans aren’t the only ones. Orcas and some toothed whales (like belugas and narwhals) go through menopause. And a recent study found chimpanzees also experience the condition. This article breaks down the similarities between these mammals and humans to explain why both species experience menopause.

Menstruation is vaginal bleeding that happens normally once a month as part of a woman’s hormonal cycle. It happens when an egg released by an ovary during ovulation isn’t fertilized. Periods, as they’re also called, can cause symptoms like mood swings, cramping, and fatigue. This article gives an intro to the basics you need to know about menstruation.

While there is no cure for menopause, there are ways to treat some of the intense symptoms women experience during perimenopause. There are two main hormone therapies used, one in the form of a pill, gel, or patch to treat symptoms like hot flashes, and another in the form of a cream or ring to treat symptoms like vaginal dryness. Read this article to learn more about the different hormone therapies available for menopausal women.