Intro: The menopause, or the cessation of menstruation, is a stage of the life cycle which will occur in all women. The average age at menopause is 51 years.
Understanding how menopause impacts various aspects of health is crucial for creating a supportive workplace.
This podcast episode brought to you by the European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS), features Prof Margaret Rees explaining the life stage of menopause, its definitions, and what to expect as women transition through this phase. Let’s dive into today’s discussion.
Prof Margaret Rees: Different terms are used when we’re talking about menopause. The word “menopause” means “period stopping” and comes from the Greek “menos” (month) and “pausis” (to stop).
In most women, it’s a natural process and occurs at the age of 51. However, it can occur much earlier, even in teenagers. The term “premature menopause” is used for women having menopause before the age of 40. Though now the term “Primary Ovarian Insufficiency”, or “POI”, is preferred.
“Postmenopause” is the time after the last menstrual period. Looking at women’s lives throughout: “premenopause” describes the time from when the period starts, or the “menarche”, and when they stop, the menopause. The “postmenopause” is after periods have stopped.
The terms “menopause transition” and “perimenopause” are used to describe the time around the menopause. “Climacteric” is a phase which is similar to perimenopause and menopause transition.
While the menopause is a natural process in most women, it can be induced by medical treatments and these include surgery to remove the ovaries or chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
So to finish, please remember, worldwide the total female population is 4 billion and 470 million women are worth our age between 45 and 54. This means that they could be working through their menopausal years and experiencing menopausal symptoms which could affect their ability to work. The menopause is now considered to be a midlife stage as women are living longer.
This series of podcasts is being undertaken to support Menopause in the Workplace Day.
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