“‘Early menopause’ is when the final menstrual period occurs between 40 and 45 years”. Some women share their stories about how early menopause affected them.

Early Menopause and Premature Menopause

Is early menopause the same as premature menopause?Early Menopause StoriesEarly Menopause Stories

In Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Early and Premature Menopause the (Scottish) NHS Inform explain:

“Menopause before the age of 45 is called early menopause. Menopause before the age of 40 is called premature menopause”.

Support After Early Menopause Your Stories

What is the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH) ‘Your Stories’?

In Support After Early Menopause Your Stories the (Australian) JH elaborate on:

“‘Your Stories’ is a place for women to share their health stories with us, to help support and encourage other women to make their health a priority too. Here is Natalie’s story.

Natalie, Melbourne, Victoria

Only hours after she was told she would have to undergo a hysterectomy and forego all hope of ever getting pregnant, Natalie headed off to her friend’s baby shower.

She and her husband had been trying for 18 months to have a baby. The endometriosis that Natalie had been trying to manage since her teens derailed their dream and the subsequent hysterectomy sent her into early menopause in her early 40s…”.

Early Menopause: Women’s Experiences

What is Early Menopause: Women’s Experiences?

In Early Menopause: Women’s Experiences – Overview, Healthtalk Australia elaborate on:

Early Menopause: Experiences and Perspectives of Women and Health Practitioners“On this unique site you can read, watch and listen to stories of 30 women aged between 28 and 51 years, from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds living in Victoria, Australia, who have shared what it is like to experience early menopause (EM).

Women talked about being diagnosed with spontaneous early menopause, premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), medically-induced early menopause, or menopausal symptoms as a result of cancer and/or other medical treatments”.

Early Menopause Video Stories

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Early Menopause Videos

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What if I think I have early menopause?

If you think you have early menopause, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this. Together you can discuss your options and if required, agree on who may be the most appropriate health care provider to help you.

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Last Updated: 22 January 2025 – Last Revised: 22 January 2025

Cervical Health Awareness Month 2025 is January in the United States and Cervical Cancer Prevention Week is 20 – 26 January 2025, in the United Kingdom.

Cervical Health Awareness Month 2025Cervical Health Awareness Month

What is the (United States) January is Cervical Health Awareness Month?

In Cervical Health Awareness Month: We Can Prevent Cervical Cancer the (United States) National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) elaborate on:

“While NCCC is focused on cervical health and cervical cancer prevention all year long, Cervical Health Awareness Month in January is a time where we want to get as many people involved as we can. The World Health Organization has a plan for the elimination of cervical cancer through vaccination and screening—we can get there! This January, we encourage you to learn more about cervical health and cervical cancer prevention and take steps to help eliminate this preventable cancer”.

Menopause

Is there an association between menopause and cervical cancer?

In Cervical Cancer: About Cervical Cancer – Key Statistics for Cervical Cancer: How Common Is Cervical Cancer? last revised 16 January 2025, the American Cancer Society note:

“Cervical cancer is most frequently diagnosed in women between the ages of 35 and 44, with the average age being 50. It rarely develops in women younger than 20.

Many older women don’t realize that they are still at risk of developing cervical cancer as they age. More than 20% of cervical cancers are found in women over 65. However, these cancers rarely occur in women who have been getting regular tests to screen for cervical cancer before they were 65”.

Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines

Can different Countries have different cervical cancer screening guidelines?

Yes, different Countries can have different cervical cancer screening guidelines, so it can be in your best interest to choose to check what’s what for you.

Cervical Screening Appointment Month

Make January your “Cervical Screening Appointment Month”.

Book your cervical screening appointment now, so you can tick this off your 2025 to-do list.


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Last Updated: 24 January 2025 – Last Revised: 21 January 2025

Māori Women and Menopause includes the infographics Maori: Menopause What Are the Symptoms? and Maori: What Is Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) and Is It Safe?

Maori: Menopause

Where may I find the Australasian Menopause Society’s (AMS) infographic Maori: Menopause What Are the Symptoms?

Your may find Maori: Menopause What Are the Symptoms? at:

Maori: Menopausal Hormone Therapy

Where may I find the AMS’s infographic Maori: What Is Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) and Is It Safe?

Your may find Maori: What Is Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) and Is It Safe? at:

NZ Doctors

Where may I find a list of New Zealand doctors “Who have a special interest in women’s health in midlife and menopause”?

Māori Women and MenopauseOn the Australasian Menopause Society’s (Australia and New Zealand] website in Find An AMS Member the AMS include:

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Last Updated: 14 January 2025 – Last Revised: 14 January 2025

Have you been prescribed antidepressants to treat hot flushes or hot flashes even though you do not feel depressed? Yes, antidepressants can be used to treat hot flushes.

Antidepressants for Hot Flushes

Why can antidepressants be used to treat hot flushes or hot flashes?

On page two in Menopause Management Options: Non-Hormonal Options – Non-hormonal Prescription Medication: Antidepressants the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH) explain:

“Some antidepressants have been shown to relieve hot flushes. For example, venlafaxine, paroxetine, escitalopram and fluoxetine. Side effects may include nausea, dry mouth, hot flushes, sweats and insomnia.

Note: Paroxetine and fluoxetine can reduce the effectiveness of some cancer treatment medicines”.

In Hot Flashes: Diagnosis & Treatment – Treatment: Antidepressants the (United States), dated 20 December 2023, Mayo Clinic elaborate on:

Antidepressants for Hot Flushes“A low-dose form of paroxetine (Brisdelle) is the only nonhormone treatment for hot flashes approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Other antidepressants that have been used to treat hot flashes include:

  • Venlafaxine (Effexor XR)
  • Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva)
  • Citalopram (Celexa)
  • Escitalopram (Lexapro)

These medications aren’t as effective as hormone therapy for severe hot flashes, but they can be helpful to women who can’t use hormones. Possible side effects include nausea, difficulty sleeping or drowsiness, weight gain, dry mouth or sexual dysfunction”.

In The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Management – Menopausal Hormone Therapy, published online 30 October 2023, the authors elaborate on:

“The following non-hormonal therapies have evidence to support their use to alleviate VMS.

The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are effective in some, but not all, women with VMS. Paroxetine, 7.5 mg/day, has regulatory approval for VMS in the USA.

Fezolinetant is a neurokinin 3B receptor antagonist that acts centrally in the brain to reduce VMS. It may improve sleep quality by reducing nocturnal VMS. Fezolinetant has been approved for the treatment of VMS at a dose of 45 mg/day in some countries.

Low-dose oxybutynin has been found to be effective for treatment of VMS either as a standard low-dose or extended-release formulation.

Other potential, but probably less effective, options include clonidine and gabapentin/pregabalin. Clonidine may be prescribed for VMS for women who cannot take estrogen at a dose of 100–150 μg/day, although the effect is modest and it is not consistently recommended…”.

2023 Nonhormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society

What did the Nonhormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society include

In The 2023 Nonhormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society: Methods Prescription Therapies: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors, published May 2023, the authors elaborate on:

“Paroxetine, escitalopram, citalopram, venlafaxine, and desvenlafaxine have been shown to significantly reduce VMS in large, double-blind RCTs of symptomatic women. Duloxetine has been found to reduce VMS in smaller studies. Hot flash reductions vary from 25% to 69% with these treatments, with improvements in composite hot flash severity and frequency from 27% to 61%. Trends toward improvement have been seen with sertraline and fluoxetine, but these were statistically insignificant; therefore, they are not recommended”.

What is VMS?

VMS can be an abbreviation for Vasomotor Symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats.

What is RCTs?

RCTs can be an abbreviation for Randomized Controlled Trials.

Hot Flushes + Depression

Do antidepressants used to manage hot flushes also treat depression?

In Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? Non-Hormonal Medications To Treat Hot Flashes the (United States) National Institute on Aging (NIA) note:

“People who take an antidepressant to help manage hot flashes generally take a lower dose than people who use the medication to treat depression or other psychiatric conditions”.

Health Care Provider

What if I would like to try an antidepressant to treat my hot flushes?

In Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? Non-Hormonal Medications To Treat Hot Flashes the NIA also note:

Antidepressants for Hot Flushes“As with any medication, talk with your doctor about whether this is the right medication for you and how you might manage any possible side effects”.

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Last Updated: 10 January 2025 – Last Revised: 10 January 2025

During perimenopause our premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual mood disorder (PMDD) symptoms may get worse.

PMS

What is PMS?

Depending on the Source (DotS), the definition of PMS may vary. In Premenstrual Syndrome: Summary – What Is Premenstrual Syndrome? the (United States) Medline Plus’s definition is:

“Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, is a group of physical and emotional symptoms that start one to two weeks before your period. Most women have at least some symptoms of PMS, and the symptoms go away after their periods start. The symptoms may range from mild to severe”.

Meno Martha, PMS and PerimenopausePerimenopause PMS

During perimenopause may our PMS symptoms get worse?

In Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS): Does PMS Change With Age? the Office on Women’s Health,  United States Department of Health and Human Services, Womenshealth.gov explain:

“Yes. PMS symptoms may get worse as you reach your late 30s or 40s and approach menopause and are in the transition to menopause, called perimenopause.

This is especially true for women whose moods are sensitive to changing hormone levels during the menstrual cycle. In the years leading up to menopause, your hormone levels also go up and down in an unpredictable way as your body slowly transitions to menopause. You may get the same mood changes, or they may get worse.

PMS stops after menopause when you no longer get a period”.

In Premenstrual Disorders & Menopause: Perimenopause & Natural Menopause – How May Being Perimenopausal Affect My PMDD/PME? the International Association for Premenstrual Disorder’s (IAPMD) elaborate on:

“PMDD cycling does go away after you are fully menopausal; however, during the years before and during the menopause transition (perimenopause), things can get rough for a while since those with PMDD are sensitive to hormone changes, and hormone flux increases EVEN MORE during perimenopause. Estrogen and progesterone production becomes very erratic and unstable before it declines at menopause”.

PMDD

What is PMDD?

DotS the definition of PMDD may vary. In Learn: PMDD the IAPMD’s definition is:

“Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a cyclical, hormone-based mood disorder with symptoms arising during the premenstrual, or luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and subsiding within a few days of menstruation. It affects an estimated 5.5% of women and AFAB individuals of reproductive age. While PMDD is directly connected to the menstrual cycle, it is not a hormone imbalance. PMDD is a severe negative reaction in the brain to the natural rise and fall of estrogen and progesterone. It is a suspected cellular disorder in the brain. Symptoms can worsen over time and or around reproductive events such as menarche (the first menstrual cycle), pregnancy, birth, miscarriage, and perimenopause”.

Menstrual Diary

Meno Martha, PMS and PerimenopauseMay keeping a menstrual diary help?

In Menstrual Diary the (United Kingdom) National Association for Premenstrual Syndrome explain:

“A completed menstrual chart is the first step towards understanding your own menstrual health. Download the menstrual diary.

Our chart helps you to record accurately your menstrual cycle, to note related symptoms as they occur, to define when you are symptom-free, to plot your days of menstruation and to note the duration of your cycle”.

In Tracking Your Cycle & Symptoms the IAPMD note:

PMDD cannot be diagnosed via blood, hormone, or saliva test. These tests can, however, rule out any underlying disorders including hormone imbalance or thyroid issues. The only way to currently test for PMDD is by tracking symptoms for a span of two more menstrual cycles”.

In Premenstrual Syndrome – Self-Care: Keep A Diary of Symptoms the (United States) MedlinePlus explain:

“Keeping a calendar or diary of your symptoms can help you identify the symptoms that are causing you the most trouble. Writing down your symptoms on a calendar can help you understand possible triggers for your symptoms. It can also help your health care provider choose an approach that is most helpful for you. In your diary or calendar, be sure to record:

  • The type of symptoms you are having
  • How severe your symptoms are
  • How long your symptoms last
  • Whether your symptoms respond to a treatment you tried
  • At what point during your cycle your symptoms occur

You may need to try different things to treat PMS. Some things you try may work, and others may not. Keeping track of your symptoms may help you find the treatments that work best for you”.

Meno Martha, PMS and PerimenopauseMenstrual Diary Format

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Health Care Provider

What if I would like help with PMS or PMDD or PME?

In Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS): Living With – When Should I See My Healthcare Provider? the (United States) Cleveland Clinic explain:

“See your provider if you’re unable to get relief from your PMS symptoms. To get the most out of your visit, come to your appointment prepared to discuss your symptoms and your period in detail. Track your period and symptom history on a calendar, planner or app. Be prepared to share information about your period start and stop dates and your symptoms (including how mild or severe) for at least two consecutive periods”.

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Last Updated: 04 January 2025 – Last Revised: 04 January 2025

Menopause News 2024 What’s Hot showcases some evidence-based menopause news by menopause societies and international sources during November and December 2024.

Menopause News December 2024 What’s Hot

What is some Menopause News December 2024 What’s Hot?

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Last Updated: 15 January 2025 – Last Revised: 01 December 2024

Menopause News 2025 What’s Hot showcases some evidence-based menopause news by menopause societies and international sources for January and February 2025.

Menopause News February 2025 What’s Hot

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Last Updated: 24 January 2025 – Last Revised: 01 January 2025

Menopause Videos 2025 What’s Hot showcases some evidence-based menopause videos by menopause societies and other international sources.

European Menopause and Andropause Society

International Menopause Society

Menopause Society
[formerly The North American Menopause Society]

Health Care Provider

What if I would like to find out what information in menopause videos 2024 is applicable to me?

If you would like to find out what information in menopause videos 2024 is applicable to you, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this.

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Last Updated: 24 January 2025 – Last Revised: 01 January 2025

World Menopause Day

When is World Menopause Day (WMD) held?

In World Menopause Day the International Menopause Society (IMS) explain:

“World Menopause Day is held every year on the 18th of October. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the menopause and the support options available for improving health and wellbeing”.

World Menopause Day 2024

What is the theme for WMD 2024?

In World Menopause Day the IMS announced:

“The theme for World Menopause Day 2024 is Menopause Hormone Therapy”.

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Last Updated: 01 January 2025 – Last Revised: 01 January 2025

Complementary and Integrative Health and Menopause Snapshot can be a place to start if you are searching for evidence-based information about complementary and integrative health and menopause.

Menopause Symptoms

What is known about the use of complementary and integrative health to help ease the symptoms of menopause?

In Menopause: Diagnosis & Treatment – Treatment: Alternative Medicine, published 07 August 2024, the (United States) Mayo Clinic elaborate on:

Complementary and Integrative Health and Menopause Snapshot“There are many alternative medicines that claim to help ease the symptoms of menopause. But few of them have been proved in studies. Some complementary and alternative treatments that have been or are being studied include:

  • Plant estrogens, also called Phytoestrogens…
  • Bioidentical hormones…
  • Cognitive behavioural therapy…
  • Black cohosh…
  • Yoga…
  • Acupuncture…
  • Hypnosis…”.

Dietary Supplements

Are dietary supplements effective to help ease the symptoms of menopause?

In Menopause: Diagnosis & Treatment – Treatment: Alternative Medicine the Mayo Clinic also include:

“You may have heard of or tried other dietary supplements, such as red clover, kava, dong quai, DHEA, evening primrose oil and wild yam, a natural progesterone cream. There’s no scientific proof that they work. Some of these products may be harmful”.

Safe or Not

Are herbal therapies safe?

On page one in Complementary & Alternative Therapies: Non Hormonal Treatments for Menopause Symptoms, reviewed November 2023, the (British) Women’s Health Concern note:

“One of the powerful messages coming from the NICE Guideline is that herbal remedies which are not regulated by a medicine authority should not be considered safe for all, as there is much variety in their effectiveness and potency and that there may be significant side effects or interactions. The same warning is given for compounded bioidentical hormone therapy which is also not regulated or subject to the same quality control as conventional HRT”.

Health Care Provider

What if I choose to use complementary and integrative health?

The Mayo Clinic explain

“Talk with your healthcare professional before taking any herbal or dietary supplements for menopause symptoms. The FDA does not oversee herbal products. Some can be harmful or affect other medicines you take, putting your health at risk”.

What is the FDA?

FDA can be an abbreviation for the (United States) Food and Drug Administration.

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Last Updated: 20 September 2024 – Last Revised: 20 September 2024