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.

Medical menopause is when menopause is induced from either surgery or medicine. Chemotherapy and radiation, as well as oophorectomy (a surgical procedure that removes the ovaries) and a radical hysterectomy can cause a woman to become menopausal. Women that go through medical menopause experience the same symptoms as women that experience natural menopause. Learn more about the medical condition here.

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.

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.

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.

Although it's rare, some women may experience menopause early. Early menopause describes women that are menopausal between the ages of 40 and 45. Women that go through menopause before age 40 experience premature menopause. Early experiences of menopause impact under 6% of women, and doctors can’t point to a specific reason why it happens. Learn about what we do know about the conditions 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.

Nearly all studies (99%) researching the biology of aging don’t consider menopause in their setup. A Harvard professor noted that about 75% of aging-related diseases are likely influenced by menopause. In this article, she discusses how gaps in research are negatively impacting how the medical system can effectively treat aging women. Read her analysis of the issue 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.