No two people's experiences are ever exactly the same. That said there are obviously trends which are worthy of examination. Life is full of change and for women the menopause,commonly referred to as "the change", brings transition from one phase in life to another. Some people speak of the male menopause and there is some evidence that males do experience physical changes in a similar way to women. However, menopause for women is the cessation of menstruation, a monthly occurrence sometimes referred to as "the curse" which for many is often dreaded. Reaching the age of forty equates with being thirty twenty years ago and female freedome in the developed world during the last century has thankfully increased expectations in life for many women.

Menopause generally takes place around the age of fifty but no longer marks the time when a woman starts to wind down. For many women menopause is a time to look forward to. A time when she is at last free from her monthly cycle and can move ahead with her life in many different ways.

For many women the years which precede the actual cessation of her periods are spent in a phase commonly known as the peri-menopause. This stage can last for ten years or more and during this time some women are aware of the hormonal changes occurring in their bodies. These may include both heavy and irregular periods and the beginning of hot flashes but the monthly menstruation continues to happen. It is important that common sense prevails at this time. A woman needs to keep an eye on her health and seek advice when unsure of unexplained symptoms which continue for a prolonged period of time. Some physicians will offer hormone replacement therapy to a woman whose symptoms are causing her distress as long as there are no existing health conditions which many render her unsuitable for this treatment. Other women seek holistic remedies to help with various conditions associated with menopause and there are many websites which offer advice and help. Whatever the course of action eventually nature will take its course and menstruation will end.

Once menstruation is absent for longer than twelve months a woman can consider herself to have made her transition through the menopause. For some women freedom from risk of pregnancy and the disappearance of the need to be constantly prepared for an irregular period brings a new outlook on life. Greater confidence and an improved sex life may ensue and, instead of taking a step back in life, twenty-first century women can take a step forward and greet the next phase of her life with gusto.

Learn more about this author, Catherine Morris.
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