“Postmenopause is the time after menopause. As your body adjusts to lower hormone levels, you may have less menopausal symptoms – or they may even disappear… ”.1
Umbrella
What may the Postmenopause Umbrella include?
Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:
- After/Beyond Menopause
- Postmenopausal
- Post Menopause/Post-Menopause/Postmenopause
Definition
What is the definition of postmenopause?
DotS the definition of postmenopause may vary. The International Menopause Society’s (IMS) definition is:
“Postmenopause – the stage after the final menstrual period”.2
The North American Menopause Society’s (NAMS) definition is:
“Postmenopause includes all the years beyond menopause”.3
The Australasian Menopause Society’s definition is:
“When a woman has had no periods for 12 consecutive months, she is considered to be postmenopausal”.4
FMP
What is FMP?
FMP can be an abbreviation for Final Menstrual Period.
Duration
How long does postmenopause last?
Postmenopause – or after menopause – lasts for the rest of our life. On page two in Prevention of Diseases After Menopause: Introduction the authors elaborate on:
“As the world population increases, along with an increase in life expectancy, many millions of women will be spending a third or more of their lives after menopause”.5
Postmenopause Differences
Do all women experience the same postmenopause?
No. All women do not experience the same postmenopause. Just as different women have a different perimenopause, different women also have a different postmenopause.
Menopause Symptoms
Do menopause symptoms stop when postmenopause starts?
Not necessarily. The (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health explain:

As your body adjusts to lower hormone levels, you may have less menopausal symptoms – or they may even disappear – but some women still experience menopausal symptoms for years after their final period”.6
Chronic Conditions
Is there an association between chronic conditions and postmenopause?
On page three in Prevention of Diseases After Menopause: Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases After Menopause the authors note:
“After menopause, several chronic diseases may emerge, usually by the sixth decade, and these include obesity and metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and arthritis, dementia and cognitive decline, and cancer”.7
Prevention
Postmenopause, how may chronic disease be prevented?
The authors of Prevention of Diseases After Menopause explain:
For all women, lifestyle measures (diet and exercise), control of body weight, mentally stimulating activity and regular screening for cancer should be carried out. As part of this armamentarium, MHT should be considered, particularly in symptomatic women. Beyond this, the identification of specific risks (e.g. osteoporosis) may warrant more specific prevention therapy”.8
What is MHT?
MHT can be an abbreviation for Menopausal Hormone Therapy or Hormone Therapy (HT).
Postmenopausal Vaginal Bleeding
What if I have postmenopausal vaginal bleeding?
In Postmenopausal Bleeding: What Causes Postmenopausal Bleeding? the (United States) Cleveland Clinic note:
“Vaginal bleeding during postmenopause isn’t a normal side effect of decreasing hormone levels. In some cases, the dryness in your vagina could cause some light bleeding or spotting after sex. In other cases, it could indicate a condition like endometrial hyperplasia or uterine fibroids, infections like endometritis, or cancer. Contact your healthcare provider if you experience any vaginal bleeding so you can be evaluated”.9
Health Care Provider
What if I would like help with my postmenopause?
If you would like help with your postmenopause, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this. The IMS remind us:
“The menopause transition should be used as an opportunity to visit your healthcare professional for a check-up, assess potential risks and proactively start to manage later life. Obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, cognitive decline and dementia, depression, and cancer are the key diseases to address”.10
Health Topics A-Z
Where may I find Health Topics related to Postmenopause?
In Health Topics A-Z you may find:
Links
Where may I find Links related to Postmenopause?
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
- An Online Survey of Postmenopausal Women To Determine Their Attitudes and Knowledge of the Menopause
- May Is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month
- National Women’s Health Week [United States]
- Severe Hot Flashes After Menopause Increase Metabolic Syndrome Risk In Women, Finds Long-Term Study
- Video Series-2023: New FDA-Approved Nonhormone Option for the Treatment of Hot Flashes
- You Need To Know [+ Video: Bleeding After the Menopause – An Important Message You Need To Know]
- An Online Survey of Postmenopausal Women To Determine Their Attitudes and Knowledge of the Menopause
- Are You Up To Date on Your Preventive Care?
- Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
- BMS Statement on Testosterone
- BMS TV: Testosterone Explained
- Bioidentical Hormones Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
- Calcium and Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Menopausal Symptoms
- Consumer Health: Women’s Health and Living A Longer, Healthier Life
- Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
- 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]
- Goredforwomen.org [Go Red for Women, United States]
- HRT & Menopause Extra
- Health After Menopause
- Healthy Living By Age: Healthy Living In Your 50s
- Heart Disease and Stroke In Women
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) With Dr Nicky Peel & Prof. David Armstrong
- Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions
- Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?
- Hot Flashes
- Hot Flashes
- Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? [+ Video: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause?]
- How Can I Reduce Lasting Menopausal Symptoms?
- How Menopause Impacts Your Health
- How To Prevent Osteoporosis After Menopause
- I Forgot To Ask the Doctor – E9: The Menopause: Can Every Woman That Wants It Have HRT?
- 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 – After the Menopause
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Sexual Wellbeing and Intimacy During and After Menopause [+ Video: Menopause Is the End of Your Sex Life]
Life’s Essential 8
- Live Long, Be Well: Science-Based Tips for Healthy Aging
- Living Well With A Chronic Condition
- Maintaining A Healthy Diet and Weight
- Management of Urinary Incontinence In Postmenopausal Women: An EMAS Clinical Guide [European Menopause and Andropause Society]
- May Is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Combating Weight Gain During Menopause [15 May 2023] [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Help With Hot Flashes Due To Menopause [+ Video]
- Mayo Clinic Minute: How Lifestyle Changes May Help Manage Menopause Symptoms [+ Video]
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Menopause and Sexual Health [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Menopause and the Heart Connection [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Relationship Between Food, Disease Stronger Than You May Think
- Mayo Clinic Q&A Podcast: Tips for Living Younger, Longer By Preventing Disease [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
- Menopausal Hormone Therapy
- Menopausal Hormone Therapy, Heart Disease and Stroke
- Menopause
- Menopause & Herbs
- Menopause FAQs: Your Health After Menopause
- Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
- Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – Stages of Menopause: Postmenopause
- Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 2. Talking To Your GP About Menopause
- Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Common Conditions Associated with Menopause and Midlife
- Menopause Symptoms: Mayo Clinic Expert Outlines Hormone and Nonhormonal Therapies
- Menopause Treatments: What Works, What Doesn’t
- Menopause: Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Questions To Ask About Menopause [NICE Guideline]
- Menopause: Understanding the Changes and Finding Relief | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 256
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Menopausal Symptoms: In Depth
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Safe Use of Complementary Health Products and Practices
- Navigating Menopause: Expert Insights and Solutions | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 245
- Non-Estrogen Treatments for Menopausal Symptoms
- Osteoporosis
- Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
- People Who Follow These 8 Heart Health Metrics May Live Years Longer
- Postmenopause
- Postmenopausal Heart Health: What To Expect
- Postmenopause: Symptoms and Impact
- Screening for Osteoporosis
- Severe Hot Flashes After Menopause Increase Metabolic Syndrome Risk In Women, Finds Long-Term Study
- Severe Postmenopausal Symptoms Decrease Quality of Life, But Can Be Treated
- Staying Healthy During and After Menopause
- Staying Well As You Age – Fact Sheets [Multiply Languages]
- Taking It To Heart: Addressing Cardiovascular Disease In Women
- The Connection Between Menopause and Cardiovascular Disease Risks
- Tips To Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
- Top 4 Tips To Prevent Chronic Diseases
- Testosterone and the Menopause
- Topical Estrogens and Non-Hormonal Preparations for Postmenopausal Vulvovaginal Atrophy: An EMAS Clinical Guide
- Using Natural Therapies In the Menopause Transition – Webinar
- Vaginal Dryness
- Vaginal Dryness After Menopause: How To Treat It?
- Video Series-2022: Discussing Sexual Health Concerns With Your Health Care Professional
- Video Series-2022: Hormone Therapy: Understanding the Risks and Benefits
- Video Series-2023: Lifestyle Modification and Prevention of Breast Cancer
- 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: Menopause Symptoms May Be Associated With Later Health Risks
- Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: Heart Disease, Risk Factors of Developing Heart Disease, and Can I Take Hormones?
- Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: How To Protect Your Brain Health At Menopause and Beyond
- Want To Live Longer? Exercise Is Key, Study Confirms
- Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: A Simple Approach To Menopausal Assessment and Management
- Webinars: Previous – Management of Menopause in Patients with Obesity
- What Everyone Should Know About Menopause Symptoms
- What To Expect In Each Stage of Menopause
- Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me This? Episode 3: Dr Annice Mukherjee: Your Essential Menopause Toolkit
- World Heart Day 2022
- World Stroke Day [29 October 2022]
- You Need To Know [+ Video: Bleeding After the Menopause – An Important Message You Need To Know]
Sources
Where may I find the Sources quoted?
You may find the Sources quoted at:
Sources
- What Is Menopause? The Menopause Transition – Postmenopause. Last Updated: 09 May 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause#the-menopause-transition Accessed: 21 May 2023
- Menopause Terminology: Glossary of Terms. Page 4. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/education/menopause-terminology/ Accessed: 21 May 2023
- Menopause FAQs: An Introduction To Menopause – Q. What Is Postmenopause? North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopause-faqs-an-introduction-to-menopause Accessed: 21 May 2023
- What Is Menopause? Content Created May 2022. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/information-sheets/185-what-is-menopause Accessed: 21 May 2023
- Lobo, R. A., Davis, S. R., De Villiers, T. J., Gompel, A., Henderson, V. W., Hodis, H. N., Lumsden, M. A., Mack, W. J., Shapiro, S. and Baber, R. J. Prevention of Diseases After Menopause: Introduction. 2014:2 https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/wmd-2014-white-pages-english.pdf Accessed: 21 May 2023
- What Is Menopause? The Menopause Transition – Postmenopause. Last Updated: 09 May 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause#the-menopause-transition Accessed: 21 May 2023
- Lobo, R. A., Davis, S. R., De Villiers, T. J., Gompel, A., Henderson, V. W., Hodis, H. N., Lumsden, M. A., Mack, W. J., Shapiro, S. and Baber, R. J. Prevention of Diseases After Menopause: Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases After Menopause. 2014:3 https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/wmd-2014-white-pages-english.pdf Accessed: 21 May 2023
- Lobo, R. A., Davis, S. R., De Villiers, T. J., Gompel, A., Henderson, V. W., Hodis, H. N., Lumsden, M. A., Mack, W. J., Shapiro, S. and Baber, R. J. Prevention of Diseases After Menopause: Summary of Prevention Strategies. 2014:22 https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/wmd-2014-white-pages-english.pdf Accessed: 21 May 2023
- Postmenopausal Bleeding: What Causes Postmenopausal Bleeding? Last Reviewed 05 October 2021. Cleveland Clinic https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21837-postmenopause Accessed: 21 May 2023
- Maintaining Health and Preventing Disease After the Menopause. 2014:2. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/wmd-2014-leaflet-english.pdf Accessed: 21 May 2023