“Perimenopause and menopause should be diagnosed
without laboratory tests in otherwise healthy women aged
over 45 years, on the basis of vasomotor symptoms…”.1
Umbrella
What may the Menopause Diagnosis Umbrella include?
Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:
- Menopause Confirmation
- Menopause Diagnosis
- Menopause Test
- Perimenopause Diagnosis
- Perimenopause Test
Predict
What is the best way to predict menopause?
In What Is Menopause? Diagnosing Perimenopause and Menopause the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH) explain:
“The best way to predict menopause is to keep track of your symptoms. If your periods are irregular and your symptoms are getting worse, it’s likely you are approaching menopause”.2
Blood Tests
Can blood tests diagnose menopause?
In What Is Menopause? Diagnosing Perimenopause and Menopause: Blood Tests the JH explain:
Follicle Stimulating Hormone Test
What is the blood test to measure follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)?
In the NICE Guideline Menopause Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Diagnosing Menopause the (British) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) explain:
“The blood test measures a hormone called FSH (follicle stimulating hormone). FSH is found in higher levels in menopause”.4
Follicle Stimulating Hormone Test Reliability
How reliable is a single FSH test to diagnosed perimenopause or menopause?
In What Is Menopause? How Is Menopause Diagnosed? the Australasian Menopause Society (AMS) note:
“Measurement of FSH to diagnose perimenopause or menopause is not usually indicated. A single hormone test, such as a measurement of elevated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is not a reliable indicator of the perimenopause, as women’s hormone levels may fluctuate from day to day”.5
Follicle Stimulating Hormone Test Validity
What can compromise the validity of FSH tests?
In the NICE Guideline Menopause Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Diagnosing Menopause the NICE note:
“You should not be offered this test if you are taking a contraceptive containing oestrogen and progestogen or high dose progestogen because the contraceptive changes your natural FSH levels”.6
In Diagnosing Menopause: Symptom Assessment and Diagnosis At Perimenopause and Menopause the AMS also note:
“It is especially unhelpful to do hormone blood tests while women are on MHT/OCP – symptoms, not blood levels, guide therapy”.7
What is MHT?
MHT can be an abbreviation for Menopausal Hormone Therapy (HRT), otherwise known as Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) or Hormone Therapy (HT).
What is OCP?
OCP can be an abbreviation for Oral Contraceptive Pill, otherwise known as “The Pill” or birth control pills.
Over-the-Counter FSH Test
What may over-the-counter FSH tests check?
In Menopause: Menopause Diagnosis & Treatment – Treatment the (United States) Mayo Clinic elaborate on:
“Over-the-counter home tests to check FSH levels in your urine are available. The tests could tell you whether you have elevated FSH levels and might be in perimenopause or menopause. But, since FSH levels rise and fall during the course of your menstrual cycle, home FSH tests can’t really tell you whether or not you’re definitely in a stage of menopause”.8
Diagnosis
How are perimenopause and menopause diagnosed?
In What Is Menopause? Diagnosing Perimenopause and Menopause the JH explain:
“You can ask your doctor to check if you are perimenopausal or have reached menopause. If you are at the expected age, have experienced some symptoms and have irregular periods, it’s likely you are perimenopausal. If you haven’t had a period for 12 months, you have probably reached menopause”.9
On page one in Diagnostic Tests for Menopause the European Menopause and Andropause Society note:
“Perimenopause and menopause should be diagnosed without laboratory tests in otherwise healthy women aged over 45 years, on the basis of vasomotor symptoms, irregular periods and amenorrhea”.10
In Diagnosing Menopause: Key Points the AMS explain:

- “Perimenopause is usually diagnosed clinically on the basis of new onset vasomotor or other symptoms and a change in the pattern of menstrual bleeding. Menopause is diagnosed 12 months after the final menstrual period”.11
What are vasomotor symptoms?
DotS the definition of vasomotor symptoms may vary. The NAM’s definition is:
“Vasomotor symptoms. Also known as hot flashes and night sweats, common symptoms during perimenopause and early postmenopause”.12
In Diagnosing Menopause: Symptom Assessment and Diagnosis At Perimenopause and Menopause the AMS elaborate on:
“Many women come to the consultation expecting a blood test to diagnose menopause, and it is important to explain to them why we use the symptom score rather than a blood test in establishing a diagnosis. It is important to explain to women that the blood tests of FSH/oestradiol can fluctuate on a daily basis and therefore are not useful or necessary”.13
Symptom Score
What is the Symptom Score used by the AMS?
In Diagnosing Menopause: Symptom Score Sheet the AMS include a Symptom Score (Modified Greene Scale) and explain:
Early Menopause and POI
When may FSH assessment be indicated?
On page four in the European Menopause and Andropause Society Consensus Statement Menopause, Wellbeing and Health: A Care Pathway From the European Menopause and Andropause Society: 3. Investigations and Assessment of Ovarian Reserve 3.1 Endocrine Investigations 3.1.1 Follicle-Stimulating Hormone, published 12 May 2022, Lambrinoudaki et al. note:
“Measurement of serum concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is not required for formal confirmation of menopausal stage for women over the age of 45. FSH assessment is indicated in women aged 40–45 years who report a change in their menstrual cycle and menopausal symptoms. Women aged <40 years in whom menopause is suspected should be assessed to explore possible POI”.15
What is POI?
POI in this context, is an abbreviation for Premature Ovarian Insufficiency.
In What Is Menopause? How Is Menopause Diagnosed? the AMS note:
“Measurement of FSH to diagnose perimenopause or menopause is not usually indicated. A single hormone test, such as a measurement of elevated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is not a reliable indicator of the perimenopause, as women’s hormone levels may fluctuate from day to day. However, investigations may be required in certain cases including: (i) if the woman has had a hysterectomy; (ii) concern that symptoms may be due to illness (e.g., thyroid disorder rather than 8natural ageing); or (iii) if woman is under 45 years of age”.16
In the NICE Guideline Menopause Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Diagnosing Menopause the NICE explain:
- You are between 40 and 45 and have menopausal symptoms, including changes in your menstrual cycle (how often you have periods)
- You are under 40 and your GP suspects you are in menopause”.17
Who is a GP?
DotS and/or DotC (Depending on the Country) a GP may be a qualified and registered general practitioner, a medical practitioner, a medical doctor or a doctor.
Health Care Provider
What if I would like to find out if I am perimenopausal or not?
If you would like to find out if you are perimenopausal or not, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this. Together you can clarify your symptoms, discuss your options and if required, agree on who may be the most appropriate health care provider to help you.
In the NICE Guideline Menopause Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Diagnosing Menopause the NICE elaborate on:
In What Is Menopause? When To See Your Doctor the JH also note:
- Irregular periods
- Heavy bleeding
- Bleeding after menopause
- Increased premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms
- Menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes, that interfere with your daily life”.19
Health Topics A-Z
Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Menopause Diagnosis?
In Health Topics A-Z you may find:
Links
Where may I find Links related to Menopause Diagnosis?
Your Country may have Links similar to:
Links
This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.New or Updated
- Mayo Clinic Q and A: Perimenopause Transitions and Concerns
- Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
- The Truth About Menopause Supplements | Dr Sarah Berry
- Video Series-2023: NAMS 2023 Nonhormone Therapies Position Statement for Bothersome Menopause Symptoms
- Video Series-2023: New FDA-Approved Nonhormone Option for the Treatment of Hot Flashes
- Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: A Simple Approach To Menopause: The Menopause Quick Six (www.MQ6.ca)
- Websites Selling Direct-to-Consumer Anti-Mullerian Hormone Tests [21 August 2023]
- AMS Symptom Score Card
- Anti-Müllerian Hormone for the Diagnosis and Prediction of Menopause: A Systematic Review
- Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
- BMS Statement on Over-the-Counter Menopause Tests
- BMS TV
- BMS TV: Menopause Explained
- BMS TV: Menopause – Weight Gain, Nutrition and Lifestyle
- Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
- Causes of Menopause
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Menopausal Symptoms
- Contraception and the Menopause
- Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
- Diagnosing Menopause
- Diagnosing Menopause: Symptom Score (Modified Greene Scale)
- Diagnostic Tests for Menopause
- Dr Louise Newson: The Truth About the Menopause & HRT
- Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
- Find An AMS Doctor [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
- Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
- Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Levels Test
- Hot Flashes
- Hot Flashes
- Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? [+ Video: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause?]
- How Long Will I Have Hot Flashes and What Causes Them?
- How Mindfulness Meditation Improves Mental Health
- I Forgot To Ask the Doctor – E9: The Menopause: Can Every Woman That Wants It Have HRT?
- Is Menopause Making Me Put on Weight? No, But It’s Complicated
- Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Menopause [+ Video: Menopause]
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Signs and Symptoms [+ Video: Talking Menopause With Your GP]
- Let’s Talk About Perimenopause
- Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Blood Test
- Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Levels Test
- Mastering Midlife Mood Changes With Marlene Freeman, MD
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Help With Hot Flashes Due To Menopause [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
- Mayo Clinic Minute: How Lifestyle Changes May Help Manage Menopause Symptoms [+ Video]
- Mayo Clinic Q and A: Perimenopause Transitions and Concerns
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause Home Tests: Do They Work?
- Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
- Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
- Menopause Mindfulness: A Personal Toolkit for Menopause Preparedness
- Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 1. What Is Menopause?
- Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 2. Talking To Your GP About Menopause
- Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Treating Vasomotor Symptoms of Menopause
- Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Understanding Menstrual Health and Menopause
- Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: What Is Menopause?
- Menopause Preparedness Toolkit: A Woman’s Empowerment Guide
- Menopause Symptoms: Mayo Clinic Expert Outlines Hormone and Nonhormonal Therapies
- Menopause Treatments: What Works, What Doesn’t
- Menopause Wellness Hub
- Menopause and Mental Health
- Menopause – Multilingual Facts Sheet
Menopause, Perimenopause, Hormone Therapy and Other Treatments With Madelyn Butler, MD [Podcast]
- Menopause: Diagnosis & Treatment – Diagnosis
- Menopause: Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Diagnosing Menopause [NICE Guideline]
- Menopause: Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Questions To Ask About Menopause [NICE Guideline]
- Menopause: Things You Can Do
- Menopause: Understanding the Changes and Finding Relief | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 256
- Menstrual Calendar
- Menstrual Calendar: Calendario Menstrual [Spanish]
- Menstrual Calendar: Calendrier Menstruel [French]
- Mood and the Menopause
- Mymenoplan.org [My Menoplan, United States]
- My Periods Have Changed. Is Menopause Around the Corner?
- Navigating Menopause: Expert Insights and Solutions | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 245
- Night Sweats
- Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
- Ovulation Test (Saliva Test)
- Perimenopause
- Perimenopause
- Perimenopause and Menopause Symptom Checklist
- Perimenopause or Menopausal Transition: Measuring Hormone Levels In the Menopausal Transition
- Period Pain & Symptom Diary
- Shop-Bought Menopause Tests Not Worth It, Women Advised
- The Reality of Menopause Weight Gain
- The Truth About Menopause Supplements | Dr Sarah Berry
- Therapy for the Effects of Menopause
- Tips To Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
- Using Natural Therapies In the Menopause Transition – Webinar
- Video Series-2022: Hormone Therapy: Understanding the Risks and Benefits
- Video Series-2022: Irregular Menstrual Cycles What’s Normal and What’s Abnormal?
- Video Series-2022: Perimenopause, Signs, Symptom, and Solutions
- Video Series-2023: NAMS 2023 Nonhormone Therapies Position Statement for Bothersome Menopause Symptoms
- Video Series-2023: New FDA-Approved Nonhormone Option for the Treatment of Hot Flashes
- Video Series-2023: Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Menopause Experience
- Video: Researchers Emphasize Normalization of Menopause
- Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: A Simple Approach To Menopause: The Menopause Quick Six (www.MQ6.ca)
- Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: New Hormonal Tests To Diagnose or Even Predict the Menopause?
- Webinar: Perimenopause
- Webinars: Previous – Pay Attention on Your Way In! The Vulva Is An Important Organ Too
- Websites Selling Direct-to-Consumer Anti-Mullerian Hormone Tests
- What Doctors Wish Patients Knew About Menopause
- What Everyone Should Know About Menopause Symptoms
- What Is Menopause? [+ Video]
- What Doctors Wish Patients Knew About Menopause
- What Is Menopause? Diagnosing Perimenopause and Menopause
- Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me This? Episode 3: Dr Annice Mukherjee: Your Essential Menopause Toolkit
Sources
Where may I find the Sources quoted?
You may find the Sources at:
Sources
- Diagnostic Tests for Menopause. 2022:1. European Menopause and Andropause Society https://emas-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Diagnostic-tests-for-menopause.pdf Accessed: 24 July 2023
- What Is Menopause? Diagnosing Perimenopause and Menopause. Last Updated: 08 June 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause/ Accessed: 24 July 2023
- What Is Menopause? Diagnosing Perimenopause and Menopause: Blood Tests. Last Updated: 08 June 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause/ Accessed: 24 July 2023
- Menopause: Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Diagnosing Menopause. NICE Guidelines [NG23]. Published Date: November 2015. Last Updated: 05 December 2019. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23/ifp/chapter/Diagnosing-menopause Accessed: 24 July 2023
- What Is Menopause? How Is Menopause Diagnosed? Content Created May 2022. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/information-sheets/185-what-is-menopause Accessed: 24 July 2023
- Menopause: Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Diagnosing Menopause. NICE Guidelines [NG23]. Published Date: November 2015. Last Updated: 05 December 2019. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23/ifp/chapter/Diagnosing-menopause Accessed: 24 July 2023
- Diagnosing Menopause: Symptom Assessment and Diagnosis At Perimenopause and Menopause. Content Created May 2022. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/gp-hp-resources/300-diagnosing-menopause Accessed: 24 July 2023
- Menopause – Diagnosis & Treatment: Diagnosis. 25 May 2023. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353401 Accessed: 24 July 2023
- What Is Menopause? Diagnosing Perimenopause and Menopause. Last Updated: 08 June 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause/ Accessed: 24 July 2023
- Diagnostic Tests for Menopause. 2022:1. European Menopause and Andropause Society https://emas-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Diagnostic-tests-for-menopause.pdf Accessed: 24 July 2023
- Diagnosing Menopause: Key Points. Content Created May 2022. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/gp-hp-resources/300-diagnosing-menopause Accessed: 24 July 2023
- Glossary: V – Vasomotor Symptoms. North American Menopause Society http://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopause-glossary#V Accessed: 24 July 2023
- Diagnosing Menopause: Symptom Assessment and Diagnosis At Perimenopause and Menopause. Content Created May 2022. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/gp-hp-resources/300-diagnosing-menopause Accessed: 24 July 2023
- Diagnosing Menopause: Symptom Score Sheet. Content Created May 2022. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/gp-hp-resources/300-diagnosing-menopause Accessed: 24 July 2023
- Lambrinoudaki I., Armeni E., Goulis D., Bretz S, Ceausu I, Durmusoglu F, Erkkola R. Fistonic I, Gambacciani M., Geukes M., Hamoda H., Hartley C., Lindén Hirschberg A., Meczekalski B., Mendoza N., Mueck A., Smetnik A., Stute P., van Trotsenburg M., Rees M. Menopause, Wellbeing and Health: A Care Pathway From the European Menopause and Andropause Society: 3. Investigations and Assessment of Ovarian Reserve 3.1 Endocrine Investigations 3.1.1 Follicle-Stimulating Hormone. Published: 12 May 2022:4. https://www.maturitas.org/article/S0378-5122(22)00090-1/fulltext Accessed: 24 July 2023
- What Is Menopause? How Is Menopause Diagnosed? Content Created May 2022. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/gp-hp-resources/300-diagnosing-menopause Accessed: 24 July 2023
- Menopause: Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Diagnosing Menopause. NICE Guidelines [NG23]. Published Date: November 2015. Last Updated: 05 December 2019. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23/ifp/chapter/Diagnosing-menopause Accessed: 24 July 2023
- Menopause: Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Diagnosing Menopause. NICE Guidelines [NG23]. Published Date: November 2015. Last Updated: 05 December 2019. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23/ifp/chapter/Diagnosing-menopause Accessed: 24 July 2023
- What Is Menopause? When To See Your Doctor. Content Created May 2022. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/gp-hp-resources/300-diagnosing-menopause Accessed: 24 July 2023