About the Menopause

Services and information

We want to support our staff to achieve positive health and wellbeing, and for you to know where you can access support for the times when you feel you need it.

Menopause

What is the menopause?

We want to support our staff to achieve positive health and wellbeing during perimenopause and menopause.

Menopause is when a woman stops having periods. Menopause means 'the last menstrual period'. It's not only those who identify as women who will experience menopause. Some transgender men, non-binary people and intersex people or people with variations in sex characteristics may also experience menopause.

Menopause is a natural event and transition that women experience, however, the timing and symptoms are different for everyone. You can look at your family history to get an idea of when you might go through it. It's likely to be a similar age to when your mother or older sisters started theirs.

Menopause can also occur due to certain surgeries or cancer treatments. This can sometimes cause symptoms to be more sudden and in some cases more severe.

Stages of menopause

Throughout their lives, women pass through distinct reproductive stages, each with its own significance and challenges.

Stages of menopause

Premonopause

Premonopause

  • Age: puberty to mid-40s
  • Symptoms: none
  • Fertility: the highest
Perimenopause

Perimenopause

Perimenopause (external website) is the time from the start of menopausal symptoms until after a woman has experienced her last period. Periods will usually start to become less frequent over a few months or years before they stop altogether. They might be more irregular and become heavier or lighter. For some women, they can stop suddenly.

  • Age: mid-40s to menopause
  • Symptoms: intense
  • Fertility: declines rapidly
Menopause

Menopause

  • Age: 51 on average
  • Symptoms: mild to intense
  • Fertility: officially ends

Perimenopause and menopause are a natural part of a woman’s life course and usually occur between the ages 45 and 55 years of age, as a woman's oestrogen levels drop (although it can start earlier). In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach menopause is 51.

Postmenopause

Postmenopause

Postmenopause (external website) is the time after a woman experiences her last period. A woman is said to be postmenopausal when she has not had a period for 12 months.

  • Age: from menopause onwards
  • Symptoms: none to mild
  • Fertility: ended

Life doesn't have to be put on hold because of menopause. There's a lot that can be done to help manage symptoms, including making healthy lifestyle choices, trying different treatments and seeking support from healthcare professionals.

Image design by Freepik (external website)