The menopause is the time in a woman´s life when menstruation ends completely (menarche is the beginning) and is something that will happen to every single woman who lives long enough to reach this change in her life. Most of the time the term ´menopause´ is used incorrectly; in literal terms it refers to the last menstrual period, but it is often used to refer instead to the years either side of the last menstrual period. The period of time before the menopause, when hormone production begins to slow, is known as the peri-menopause and it often commences long before you may expect, sometimes from as early as 35 onwards. The average age for the actual menopause (cessation of menstruation) is 51 (but can span from 45 to 58). The period after the menopause is known as post-menopause. For ease of understanding in this website we will refer to the whole transition period as the menopause.

Menopause means ´end of menstrual period´. It does not have to mean the end of good health and vitality, nor does it have to mean the end of beauty, femininity, or a good sex life; though the scare mongering among the media and much of the medical profession could well make you think otherwise! The menopause is a perfectly natural stage in a woman´s life - it is not a medical disorder.

A common question that when answered in the affirmative represents a misconception; no…it is not necessarily the case that we will follow the same pattern our mothers did. Menstrual patterns have changed over the last 30-40 years and it is common for women to have a later menopause than their mothers.

The menopause knows no cultural divides: it happens to women everywhere, yet different societies around the world view the menopause in different ways. Sadly, in the UK and the US it is rarely viewed positively- indeed for some it remains an unmentionable subject. Yet in some cultures it is a time that can bestow a new higher status on a woman and she may be treated with heightened respect. But it isn´t just the way menopause is perceived that differs; the actual symptoms vary from country to country. This may well offer clues to how diet, lifestyle and even conditioning affect our bodies. For instance, in some parts of the world women do not have a word for hot flush and the Western concept of ´the menopause´ with all its associated problems just doesn´t exist.

Scientists have often been perplexed about why the menopause is experienced so differently around the world. Genetic differences seem not to be the cause because when women move from one country to another their health sometimes changes, too.