ABSTRACT

The menopause occurs on average between the ages of 50 and 51, in most Western cultures, and literally refers to a woman’s last menstrual period. The term originally comes from the Greek words ‘menos’ and ‘pausos’, which mean ‘month’ and an ‘ending’. In this case, the ‘ending’ refers to the cessation of ovulation – the production of fertile eggs or ovum – and therefore fertility, and it also marks a change in life stage for many women. Most women will go through the menopause if they live long enough, although for some the timing of the menopause is infl uenced by surgery or disease. Hot fl ushes and night sweats (the medical term for these is ‘vasomotor symptoms’) are the other main physical signs of menopause.