WHAT IS THE MENOPAUSE?
The menopause is a natural and normal part of life for of anyone who has a female reproductive system.
The word ‘menopause’ means the ‘end of monthly cycles’ (the end of monthly periods or menstruation), from the Greek word pausis (‘pause’) and mēn (‘month’).
THE MENOPAUSE
When periods stop this is known as the menopause (12 months without a period) and this comes as a result of lower hormone levels.
Before menopause you may find that your periods start to reduce in frequency over the course of months or years before going on to stop altogether, this transition is known as perimenopause.
Menopause sometimes happens earlier, either naturally or due to chemotherapy as part of treatment for cancer, surgery where the ovaries or uterus are removed (oophorectomy or hysterectomy), genetics or an unknown reason.
EXPLAINING THE MENOPAUSE
You may experience some of the following SYMPTOMS during perimenopause/menopause:
Irregular Periods
Night Sweats
Mood Swings
Brain Fog
Hot Flushes
Sleep Disturbance
Anxiety
PP-UN-WHC-GB-0212 July 2025