Menopause Transition

“The menopause transition is defined as
the time from the onset of cycle irregularity
until the time of the final menstrual period”.1

Umbrella

What may the Menopause Transition Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Menopausal/Menopause Transition
  • Perimenopause

Definition

What is the menopause transition?

DotS the definition of the menopause transition may vary. In The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Definitions published online 30 October 2023, the author’s definition is:

  • “The menopause transition is defined as the time from the onset of cycle irregularity until the time of the final menstrual period”.2

Age

At what age does the menopause transition most often begin?

In What Is Menopause? Understand the Menopausal Transition the (United States) National Institute on Aging (NIA) explain:

“Most women begin the menopausal transition between ages 45 and 55, and the process may last for several years. Women reach menopause at different ages, and the average age of menopause is 52 in the United States. You will only know that you’ve reached menopause when you have not had a period or spotting for a full year”.3

Affect

How does the menopause transition affect women?

In Symptoms the (United Sates) Menopause Society (formerly the North American Menopause Society) elaborate on:

“The transition through menopause looks different for every woman, which results in great variation in how menopause symptoms are managed. Some will find that lifestyle changes are enough to keep symptoms at a tolerable level, whereas others find relief with nonprescription remedies. Some women will require prescription options to manage their symptoms, and others may benefit from a combination of methods”.4

In What Is Menopause? Managing Menopause Symptoms: What’s Right for You? the NIA note:

“Symptoms related to menopause can last for between two and eight years, though the timing and symptoms are highly variable among women. These factors are likely influenced by a woman’s genetics as well as external factors, such as race and ethnicity, culture, lifestyle, and environment”.5

Health Care Provider

What if I would like to find out more about the menopause transition?

If you would like to find out more about the menopause transition, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this.

In What Is Menopause? Managing Menopause Symptoms: What’s Right for Me? the NIA explain:

“Deciding whether and how to treat symptoms related to menopause can be complicated and personal. Many women find that they do not need treatment for their menopause symptoms. For women who want to pursue treatment, options may include lifestyle changes, nonhormonal medications, and hormones. To determine the approach that’s right for you, discuss your symptoms, family and medical history, and preferences with your doctor. No matter what you decide, see your doctor every year to talk about your treatment plan, bring up any concerns, and discuss any changes you want to make”.6

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to the Menopause Transition?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Menopause Transition?

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

  1. 29 Perimenopause Symptoms You May Not Know About
    Perimenopause
  2. ACOG Explains: Managing Menopause Symptoms [American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists]
  3. About Menopause: The Stages of Menopause – Perimenopause
  4. At-Home Menopause Tests: Pros and Cons, What They Test and When To See A Provider
  5. CAMS Menopause Hour: Perimenopause – A Clinical Challenge [Council of Affiliated Menopause Societies]
  6. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Menopausal Symptoms
  7. Complementary & Alternative Therapies: Non-Hormonal Treatments for Menopause Symptoms
  8. Complementary Medicines and Therapies for Hot Flushes
  9. Complementary Medicines and Therapies: Options for Menopausal Symptoms
    Menopause Transition
  10. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Preparing for Your Menopause Health Care Visit
  11. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2025 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Abnormal Uterine Bleeding—When To See A Clinician
  12. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2025 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Nutrition At Menopause and Why It Is Important
  13. Could It Be Perimenopause? How Hormones Influence the Brain
  14. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
  15. Diagnosing Menopause
  16. Diagnostic Tests for Menopause
  17. FDA Direct: Removing Black Box Warnings for HRT (Part 1/2)
  18. Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
  19. Find A Practitioner [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
  20. Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
  21. First Symptoms of Menopause
  22. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
  23. Glossary of Terms
  24. HRT Questions Answered
  25. Handling Hot Flushes and Night Sweats| Dr Louise Newson
  26. Heavy Periods Symptom Checklist
  27. Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?
  28. Hot Flashes
  29. Hot Flashes
  30. Hot Flashes, Anxiety and Menopause: What’s the Connection?
  31. How To Talk To Your Doctor About Heavy Periods
  32. How To Talk To Your Doctor About Menopause
    Menopause Transition
  33. How To Talk To Your Doctor About Midlife Brain Fog
  34. How To Talk To Your Doctor About Painful Sex
  35. How To Tell You’re Near the End of Perimenopause
  36. How Vaginal Hormones Can Transform the Health of Women
  37. International Menopause Society (IMS) Recommendations and Key Messages on Women’s Midlife Health and Menopause
  38. Is An At-Home Menopause Test Useful for Women? Experts Weigh In
  39. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Menopause [+ Video: Menopause Myths] [Other Languages and Formats]
  40. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Signs and Symptoms of Menopause [+ Video: Talking Menopause With Your GP] [Other Languages and Formats]
  41. Let’s Talk About Perimenopause
  42. Looking After Yourself Around the Time of Menopause
  43. MQ6 Assessment Tool
  44. Mayo Clinic Q and A: Perimenopause Transitions and Concerns
  45. Menopause
  46. Menopause
  47. Menopause
    Menopause Transition
  48. Menopause Checklist Podcast
  49. Menopause Definitions and Terms
  50. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
  51. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
  52. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – Stages of Menopause: Perimenopause
  53. Menopause Symptoms: Mayo Clinic Expert Outlines Hormone and Nonhormonal Therapies
  54. Menopause Treatments: What Works, What Doesn’t
  55. Menopause What Are the Symptoms?
  56. Menopause and Mental Health
  57. Menopause: Your Choice of Language
  58. Menstrual Calendar
  59. Monitoring Menopause Symptoms
  60. Mood and the Menopause
  61. Mymenoplan.org [My Menoplan, United States]
  62. My Periods Have Changed. Is Menopause Around the Corner?
  63. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Herbs At A Glance
  64. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: How Safe Is This Product or Practice?
  65. National Women’s Health Week [11-17 May 2025]: Navigating the Road to Menopause
    Menopause Transition
  66. Navigating Menopause Together: How Partners Can Help
  67. Navigating Menopause: Honest Answers To All Your Questions [+ Video: What To Expect in Menopause]
  68. Navigating Menopause Care Resource Guide
    Menopause Transition
  69. Night Sweats
  70. Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
  71. Perimenopause
  72. Perimenopause
  73. Perimenopause With Dr. Heather Hirsch
  74. Perimenopause and Menopause Checklist: Translated Checklists
  75. Perimenopause and Menopause Symptom Checklist
  76. Perimenopause and Menopause Toolkit
  77. Perimenopause or Menopausal Transition
  78. Perimenopause, PMS, and PCOS: All About the Period
  79. Promoting Good Mental Health Over the Menopause Transition
  80. Resources: Fact Sheets [Multiply Languages]
  81. Staying Healthy During and After Menopause
  82. Supporting A Loved One Through Menopause
  83. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause
  84. Supplements: What Works, What Doesn’t and the Truth About Menowashing
  85. Symptoms
  86. Tips To Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
  87. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  88. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – A Simple Approach To Menopause: The Menopause Quick Six (www.MQ6.ca)
  89. Webinars: Lifestyle Medicine
  90. Webinars: Symposia –  What’s Hot? Options for Treatment of Hot Flushes 2025
  91. Webinars: The Burn, the Itch, the Pain, the Urge: GSM In Women
  92. Webinars: The Perimenopause Journey: An Adaptive Reproductive Phase
  93. What Is Menopause?
  94. What Is Menopause? [+ Video]
  95. What Is Menopause? Understand the Menopausal Transition
  96. What Is Perimenopause and Menopause?
  97. What Is the Difference Between Perimenopause, Menopause and Postmenopause?
  98. When Does Perimenopause Start and How Do You Define the Beginning
  99. Why Is Bleeding So Heavy?
  100. Why Is FSH Not Needed for Diagnosis of Menopause [Video]

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Davis, S. R., Taylor, S., Hemachandra, C., Magraith, K., Ebeling, P. R., Jane, F., and Islam, R. M. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Definitions. First Published Online 30 October 2023 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13697137.2023.2258783 Accessed: 27 January 2026
  2. Davis, S. R., Taylor, S., Hemachandra, C., Magraith, K., Ebeling, P. R., Jane, F., and Islam, R. M. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Definitions. First Published Online 30 October 2023 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13697137.2023.2258783 Accessed: 27 January 2026
  3. What Is Menopause? Understand the Menopausal Transition. Content Reviewed: 16 October 2024. National Institute on Aging https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-menopause Accessed: 27 January 2026
  4. Symptoms. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/patient-education/menopause-topics/symptoms Accessed: 27 January 2026
  5. What Is Menopause? Understand the Menopausal Transition. Content Reviewed: 16 October 2024. National Institute on Aging https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-menopause Accessed: 27 January 2026
  6. What Is Menopause? Managing Menopause Symptoms: What’s Right for Me? Content Reviewed: 16 October 2024. National Institute on Aging https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-menopause Accessed: 27 January 2026
Topic Last Updated: 27 January 2026 – Topic Last Reviewed: 27 January 2026

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