Natural menopause is the permanent ending of menstruation that is not brought on by any type of medical treatment. For women undergoing natural menopause, the process is described in three stages: perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause.
However, not all women undergo natural menopause. Some women experience induced menopause as a result of surgery or medical treatments, such as chemotherapy and pelvic radiation therapy.
Premature Menopause
What Medical Treatments Can Cause Menopause?
Medical treatments such as chemotherapy and pelvic radiation therapy can cause menopause by damaging the ovaries. However, not all premenopausal women undergoing these procedures will experience induced menopause. Additionally, even if the ovaries are damaged, the damage is not always permanent.
What Is Surgical Menopause?
Surgical menopause occurs when a premenopausal woman has her ovaries surgically removed in a procedure called a bilateral oophorectomy. This causes an abrupt menopause, with women often experiencing more severe menopausal symptoms than if they were to experience menopause naturally.
Why Would Someone Have a Bilateral Oophorectomy?
In most cases, bilateral oophorectomy is performed because of cancer, including cervical, endometrial (cancer of the uterus), and ovarian cancer. However, it may occasionally be done to treat non-cancerous conditions such as uterine fibroids, endometriosis, or infections.
Which Surgical Procedures Involve Bilateral Oophorectomy?
Hysterectomy (the surgical removal of the uterus) can sometimes, though not always, include bilateral oophorectomy. Hysterectomy that does not involve removal of the ovaries usually does not result in menopause.
Other surgeries that may involve the removal of both ovaries include:
Abdominal resection. This is a surgical procedure done to treat colon and rectal cancer. While this surgery usually involves the removal of the lower colon and rectum, it can also include partial or total removal of the uterus and ovaries, as well as the rear wall of the vagina.
Total pelvic exenteration. This procedure is usually only performed in cases of cervical cancer that recurs despite treatment with surgery and radiation. It involves the removal of most pelvic organs, including: the uterus, cervix, ovaries, and fallopian tubes, vagina, bladder, urethra, and part of the rectum.
Menopause is the time in a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop, also called the “change of life." Menopause symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, irregular vaginal bleeding, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, urinary incontinence, weight gain, and emotional symptoms such as mood swings. Treatment of menopausal symptoms varies, and should be discussed with your physician.
Hot flashes (or flushing) is the most common symptom experienced by a woman prior to and during the early stages of menopause. Hot flashes can be caused by other conditions. Diagnosis is made by taking a patient history and at times, blood tests. Treatment options include hormone therapy, bioidentical hormone therapy, and medications. There are non-FDA approved natural remedies.
Sexual health information including birth control, impotence, herpes, sexually transmitted diseases, staying healthy, women's sexual health concerns, and men's sexual health concerns. Learn about the most common sexual conditions affecting men and women.
Women's health is an important topic area to guide a woman through the stages of her life, as well as knowing the conditions and diseases that may occur. Educating yourself so that the transitions into different phases of life is key to a healthy, happy, and productive life.
Reproductive health encompasses the beginning of menstruation for women, choosing the right birth control method for you and your partner, preventing contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and for women, ending with the menopausal transition.
Menopause is defined as the state of an absence of menstrual periods for 12 months. The
menopausal transition starts with varying
menstrual cycle length
and ends with the final menstrual period. Perimenopause means "the time around menopause"
and is often used to refer to the menopausal transitional period. It is not officially a medical term, but is sometimes used to
explain certain aspects of the menopause transition in lay terms. Postmenopause
is the entire
period of time that comes after the last menstrual period.
Menopause is the time in a woman's life when the function of the ovaries
ceases. The ovary (female gonad), is one of a pair of reproductive glands in
women. They are located in the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus. Each
ovary is about the size and shape of an almond. The ovaries produce eggs (ova) and female
hormones such as estrogen. During each
monthly menstrual cycle, an egg is released f...