Section 1: Phases of Female Reproductive Health
You may have heard people talk about the “stages” of menopause. However, this module will talk about where menopause within the context of female reproductive life.
PHASES OF REPRODUCTIVE LIFE
Premenopause
Premenopause spans between a woman’s first menstrual cycle and the beginning of perimenopause. During this phase, menstrual cycles are typically regular, lasting for around 30 years or more.
Menopause
Menopause marks the end of a woman’s menstrual cycle, signifying a major life transition. This stage is reached when there has been no menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months.
Perimenopause
Hormone levels start fluctuating and estrogen levels gradually drop,leading to various symptoms that can be moderate to severe. This transition period can last for several years.
Post-menopause
Post-menopause follow perimenopause. Up to 1/3 of a woman’s life can be spent in this phase. While some symptoms may persist, they typically become milder and subside over time. It’s important to be aware of increased health risks like osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.
Pre-menopause is the time between a woman’s first menstrual cycle and the beginning of perimenopause. This reproductive phase usually lasts 30 years or more. In pre-menopause, a woman’s menstrual cycle is still regular, and her hormone levels are generally stable.
During this phase, women are still fertile and may not experience any noticeable changes related to menopause. However, hormone levels can gradually begin to shift as early as the late 30s or early 40s, even though the symptoms of menopause might not yet be present. Your premenopausal years are a good time to start thinking about how lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and stress management can set a foundation for a smoother transition into perimenopause and even post-menopause.
Taking a proactive approach to health during pre-menopause can help reduce the impact of symptoms when the hormonal shifts of perimenopause eventually begin.
Perimenopause is when most symptoms of menopause occur and are at their worst. You may be familiar with some of the most widely experienced symptoms, like hot flashes, night sweats, and changes in the menstrual cycle. However, there are more than 30 symptoms associated with perimenopause.
During perimenopause, our hormone levels begin to fluctuate, and our estrogen levels gradually drop. This fluctuation and decrease in estrogen can result in a range of symptoms, from moderate to severe.
Perimenopause can last from a few months to several years, with a person’s menstrual cycles slowly decreasing until they have gone a full year without one. That is when they are considered to have reached menopause. Technically, menopause is one day, which is marked by 12 consecutive months without a period.
While most women will experience menopause naturally during midlife, about one percent of women experience early onset menopause, which occurs before the age of 40, and others may experience surgical onset or medically induced menopause.
Post-menopause is the final female reproductive stage. It is the phase of a woman’s life that begins 12 months after her last menstrual period, marking the official end of perimenopause. During post-menopause, symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings may continue for some time, but for many women, they gradually ease. However, the lower levels of estrogen can lead to new health considerations, such as an increased risk of Osteoporosis, heart disease, and genitourinary issues, like vaginal dryness and thinning, pain with sex, and an increase in urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Because people live longer lives, up to a third of a woman’s life can be spent on stage. Women in post-menopause must stay proactive about their health, incorporating regular exercise, a balanced diet, and routine check-ups with their healthcare provider. Many women find this phase to be a time of renewal and opportunity as they focus on wellness and healthy aging strategies.