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Elevate your understanding of menopause so that, wherever you are in your journey, you can feel well informed and know how to stay on top of menopause.

"Menopause hit me like a freight train... I thought I would never climb again. Now I am living my dream, my best life. Don't give up, educate yourself and take charge."

Allie Pepper

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THE STAGES OF MENOPAUSE

Every woman will experience menopause differently, and the transition can last anywhere from a few months to several years. But what happens at each stage? Explore the tabs below to find out more about the different phases of menopause.

PerimenopauseMenopausePostmenopause

PERIMENOPAUSE

Perimenopause is when you have symptoms of menopause, but you still have periods, although these may be irregular. This stage can last for 4 years or more.1

During this transition to menopause, the number of mature eggs in a woman’s ovaries lowers, making ovulation irregular.2 The production of three hormones in the female body also starts to drop: oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone.2,3 You can explore more about these hormones and how they cause the symptoms of menopause in the next tab.

Perimenopause ends and menopause begins when you have not had a period for 12 months.4-6

Changes in oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels during the perimenopause12,13

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Menopause quiz

See how much you know about menopause in this five-question quiz3-5

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  1. Harlow SD, et al. Executive summary of the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop + 10: addressing the unfinished agenda of staging reproductive aging. Menopause. 2012; 19(4): 387-395.
  1. John Hopkins Medicine. Introduction to menopause [Internet]. Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/introduction-to-menopause#:~:text=During%20this%20transition%20time%20before,of%20the%20symptoms%20of%20menopause. Last accessed October 2024.
  1. Scott A, Newson L. Should we be prescribing testosterone to perimenopausal and menopausal women? A guide to prescribing testosterone for women in primary care. Br J Gen Pract. 2020 Mar 26;70(693):203-204.
  1. World Health Organization. Menopause [Internet]. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/menopause Last accessed October 2024.
  1. NICE. Menopause [Internet]. Available at: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/menopause/ Last accessed October 2024.
  1. NHS. Menopause [Internet]. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/ Last accessed October 2024.
  1. Thiyagarajan DK, Basit H, Jeanmonod R. Physiology, Menstrual Cycle. [Updated 2022 Oct 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500020/
  1. Medical News Today. Estrogen [Internet]. Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/277177#sources-and-uses Last accessed October 2024.
  1. Cable JK, Grider MH. Physiology, Progesterone. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK558960/ Last accessed October 2024.
  1. Healthline. What to Know About Progesterone Therapy for Menopause [Internet] Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/progesterone-for-menopause Last accessed October 2024.
  1. NIH. What is menopause? [Internet] Available at: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/menopause/what-menopause Last accessed October 2024.
  1. Haufe A, et al. The role of ovarian hormones in the pathophysiology of perimenopausal sleep disturbances: A systematic review. Sleep Med Rev 2022; 66: 101710.
  1. Davis S, et al. Testosterone in women—the clinical significance. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2015; 3: 980–992.