Women’s sexual health - Menopause

Menstruation, Menopause and Everything in Between

Among all the species, it is only the human female as well as the great apes that experience a true menstrual cycle. The other placental mammals experience the phenomenon called ‘estrus’ instead.

For most mammals, ‘estrus’ means a series of physiological changes which can be associated with courtship that helps ensure that mating occurs only during the estrus period of time. This is the brief stage where the female’s reproductive system allows eggs to be released and thus the only time that she is receptive to mating. Therefore, among all the other animals, it is only the human beings who experience menopause. Another explanation for this is that because no other animal can possibly live long enough to reach the stage of menopause. Recent studies however, show that menopause also occurs at the onset of a gorilla’s life, in as early as the average age of 44.

Being a unique experience for our species, it is only but natural for us to be informed about our own menstrual cycle, and eventually menopause. The monthly cycle that every woman undergoes is at the control of the reproductive hormone system which dictates the reproduction processes of our system. As we might know by now, our cycles occur typically on a monthly basis, while to some it is irregular and scantily scheduled. In a woman’s lifetime, her menstruation is marked by the period between her puberty and her menopause.

Menopause then is the period where the last menstrual flow of a woman in her lifetime happens. This is when the period of fertility for a woman is now culminated and the climacteric is the time preceding and following this phenomenon. Climacteric is defined as “a period of life characterized by physiological and psychic change that marks the end of the reproductive capacity of women and terminates with the completion of menopause.” Menopause, as a terminology, encompasses the entire process of culminating the menstrual cycle up to the last day of the woman’s menopause. This usually occurs between forty to sixty years old and lasts for over a period from 6 months up to three years.

In nearing the culmination of the menstrual cycle, the menopausal period usually goes through many changes first before it will slow down and then suddenly stop. During the transition between the menopause and the menstruation, a woman's periods may become erratic, be spaced closer together, or further apart than the normal. Sometimes, there is even a skip for a period or two and even some spotting. However, the most common indication for the approaching of the menopause is the excessive loss of a lot of blood along with the passage of large clots. This is manifested when a woman nears the end of her periods, when at that time she cannot ovulate for one cycle or several cycles.

Symptoms

There are many indications of menopause. These manifestations are easy to observe, although some of them are already too commonplace for the average woman. Anyway, the clinical features of menopause are the result of estrogen deficiency.

Among the many symptoms of menopause is Vasomotor instability which is characterized by hot flashes and hot flushes as well as sleep disturbances.

Menopause is also manifested through Urogenital atrophy. This includes:  dyspareunia, itching, dryness, bleeding, urinary frequency, urinary urgency, and urinary incontinence.

The Skeletal health of a woman is also affected with menopause. When there is a cessation of the monthly periods, the woman would then experience osteoporosis, joint muscle pain and even back pain. As for the skin, the symptoms are shown through breast atrophy, skin thinning, and a marked decreased elasticity.

More importantly, menopause is clearly shown through the Psychological symptoms of a woman. These include some mood disturbances, frequent irritability, fatigue, a decreased libido, and memory loss.