ABSTRACT
The midlife transition is associated with many changes in hormonal and physiological function, some of which are sex related. In women, one of the most dramatic hormonal changes is the striking reduction in estrogen production that accompanies menopause. The word menopause is derived from two Greek roots: mens, meaning monthly, and pause, meaning to stop. It refers specifically to the cessation of menstruation and the termination of fertility, two events which may not happen at the same time.
