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Menopause is not one single experience. It’s different for everyone, and the symptoms can come and go as you pass through this phase of life.
Menopause occurs when your ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. You’re technically in menopause when you haven’t had menstrual bleeding for 12 consecutive months. Menopause can bring about a range of emotions, including a sense of relief and freedom. It is also commonly accompanied by symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sleep problems, and changes in your sex drive; there are effective ways to relieve these symptoms.
Here are seven things to know about this important part of aging.
Sources: Office on Women’s Health. Menopause Basi... + 14
- Office on Women’s Health. Menopause Basics. March 17, 2025.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The Menopause Years. December 2025.
- Cleveland Clinic. Premature and Early Menopause. September 6, 2022.
- Office on Women’s Health. Early or Premature Menopause. March 11, 2025.
- Menopause Society. Perimenopause. Accessed February 23, 2026.
- Mayo Clinic. Perimenopause: Symptoms and Causes. December 18, 2025.
- Menopause Society. Hormone Therapy. Accessed February 23, 2026.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Hormone Therapy for Menopause. February 2024.
- Iyer TK, Fiffick AN, Batur P. Nonhormone therapies for vasomotor symptom management. Cleve Clin J Med. 2024 Apr 1;91(4):237-244.
- Go Red for Women. Menopause. Accessed February 23, 2026.
- Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. June 27, 2025.
- Endocrine Society. Menopause and Bone Loss. January 24, 2022.
- American Heart Association. AHA Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations. July 30, 2024.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Perimenopausal Bleeding and Bleeding After Menopause. February 2024.
- Mayo Clinic. Bleeding After Menopause. September 4, 2025.
