Latest Facts about Menopause:

From the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gyencologists: • Menopause is defined as the time when the ovaries cease functioning and menstrual periods stop, marking the end of the reproductive years. A woman is considered to have reached menopause when she has stopped having a monthly period for 12 consecutive months. The average age of US women at menopause is 51. • While life expectancy has increased over the years, the age of menopause has not changed during the past few centuries. • Menopause is the culmination of a process that can begin several years before the final menstrual period. The transitional stage leading up to meno- pause is called perimenopause, which lasts about four years but may be longer or shorter. • No link has been found between the age of natural menopause and use of oral contraceptives, socio-