Introduction
Introduction
In July 2022, the first Women’s Health Strategy for England was published with the aim of improving women’s health over the next 10 years. One of its focuses is menopause care and the UK Menopause Taskforce was established to drive the strategy forward, raising awareness of menopause among healthcare professionals, encouraging workplace support and considering further research on the topic.
The average age of someone going through the menopause in the UK is 51 years, but it can often occur earlier with symptoms of the perimenopause frequently starting in the mid-40s. If the decline in ovarian function occurs before the age of 45, it is called early menopause, and if it occurs under 40 years of age it is called premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). See boxout for more.
Terminology
Menopause: is when menstruation has stopped consecutively for 12-months. The menopause occurs when the ovaries no longer produce eggs and, as a result, levels of the hormones oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone fall.
Perimenopause: describes the time before the menopause when the majority of people continue to have periods while also experiencing menopausal symptoms. This is due to fluctuating levels of hormones oestrogen and progesterone.
Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI): describes an early menopause when there is a decline in ovarian function below the age of 40 years. This can be due to chromosome abnormalities, autoimmune disease or certain infections (e.g. tuberculosis, malaria, mumps). It can also occur after cancer treatment such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgical or medical treatments. It can sometimes run in families and also be known as primary ovarian insufficiency.4
Postmenopausal: describes the time post-menopause when a woman has not experienced a period for 12 months. Some women continue to experience symptoms for years after this.