Biology 101
Understanding Menopause
Menopause is often a term women do not wish to hear when they start to get
older. It is used to describe the time in a woman’s life when her periods eventually stop
and the body goes through changes that no longer allow her to get pregnant (PubMed 1).
It is a natural event that normally occurs in women aging from forty-five to fifty-five
years of age. The transition from being reproductive to non-reproductive is the result of a
reduction in female hormonal production by the ovaries (Wiki 2). Although this
transition happens, it is not normally a sudden or abrupt one. With most women this
transition tends to occur over a period of years, and is a part of the aging process. But,
for some women, the accompanying signs and effects that can occur during the
menopause transition years can significantly disrupt their daily activities and sense of
well being (Wiki 2). This span of time is also commonly called the change of life, the
change, or the climacteric and more recently is known as “perimenopause”, (literally
meaning “around menopause”) (Wiki 2).
Adding to this process, women who have functional disorders affecting their
reproductive systems (e.g. endometriosis, cancer of reproductive organs) can make a
woman go into menopause at a younger age than a normal timeframe (Wiki 3). These
disorders often speed up the process and can sometimes create more health problems,
both physical and emotional, for women. Menopause is an unavoidable change that
every woman will experience eventually. It is inevitable. This paper will help women
better understand this transition and will teach them what to expect and what options are
available to help them with their transition. Sometimes an early menopause can be
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related to cigarette smoking, a higher body mass index (BMI), racial and ethic factors,
illnesses, chemotherapy, radiation and the surgical removal of the uterus and/or both
ovaries (Wiki 3).
Menopause is officially declared in adult women who are not pregnant, not
lactating, and who has an intact uterus when there has been amenorrhea (or in other
words no period) for one whole year (WebMD 1). This is called post menopause.
Women who are post-menopausal can no longer get pregnant. Surgical menopause is
when medical treatments cause a drop in estrogen. This can happen if your ovaries are
removed, or if you receive chemotherapy or hormone therapy for breast cancer (WebMD
1).
During a phase called the perimenopause years, many women undergo noticeable
