Women’s Health Exam III: Menopause Study Guide
2. how do you know if someone has gone
through menopause?
1. 1. Menopause is 3. what is the average age of menopause?
described as a
3. What is peri- omenopause?
2. This hap-
pens when a
woman reaches
what ages?
3. What
is menopause
marked by?
4. Menopause is a
time of menstru-
al and endocrine
changes begin-
ning
2. 1. what kind
of diagnosis is
menopause?
, Women’s Health Exam III: Menopause Study Guide
1. a natural decline in
reproductive hormones - *symptomatic years of menopausal transition*
2. 40s - 50s - time of endocrine and menstrual changes that start occurring for women in the
3. marked by the end of menses. years before the final menstrual period
4. (below)
- variation in cycle length
- and ending with the final
menstrual period
- (FMP is when 12 months of
amenorrhea have passed after
last menstrual period)
1. a retrospective diagnosis
2. 12 months without any
uterine bleeding
3. 40 - 58 years old, average
age 51 years
, Women’s Health Exam III: Menopause Study Guide
- encompassing the time from early menopausal transition to 12 months after final
menstrual period,
4. 1. During 1. During this time, estrogen levels fluctuate, which can cause heavy, irregular
perimenopause, periods and cramping.
what happens to 2. 5 years
estrogen levels?
2. How long
does peri-
menopause last
usually?
5. 1. what happens - Number of follicles are rapidly diminishing
to the number of - with less follicles, the ovary is producing less of all the sex steroids (E, P, A)
follicles? - and so they are not there to give negative feedback to the HPO axis.
6. 1. The ovaries be- 1. high peaking of FSH
fore more resis- - With less follicles, the ovary is producing less ott all the sex steroids (E,P,A)
tant to FSH stimu- - and so they are not there to give negative feedback to the HPO axis
lation - In response the pituitary puts out more and FSH and LH
7. 1. Can we 1. Although the hormones LH and FSH (especially FSH) are trending upward in
use hormone lev- menopause
els to diagnose 2. the actual levels hour to hour can be very erratic and that is why hormone testing
menopause? for menopause is considered to be very unreliable.
2. what are the
hours to hour
changes like?
8. 1. Once some- 1. FSH tends to be very high and stay forever at that peak level.
one has gone + In the years leading up to transition, hormone levels are erratic.
fully through 2. Professional guidelines do not recommend testing hormones level to diagnosis
menopause (a menopause (estrogen, FSH).
2. how do you know if someone has gone
through menopause?
1. 1. Menopause is 3. what is the average age of menopause?
described as a
3. What is peri- omenopause?
2. This hap-
pens when a
woman reaches
what ages?
3. What
is menopause
marked by?
4. Menopause is a
time of menstru-
al and endocrine
changes begin-
ning
2. 1. what kind
of diagnosis is
menopause?
, Women’s Health Exam III: Menopause Study Guide
1. a natural decline in
reproductive hormones - *symptomatic years of menopausal transition*
2. 40s - 50s - time of endocrine and menstrual changes that start occurring for women in the
3. marked by the end of menses. years before the final menstrual period
4. (below)
- variation in cycle length
- and ending with the final
menstrual period
- (FMP is when 12 months of
amenorrhea have passed after
last menstrual period)
1. a retrospective diagnosis
2. 12 months without any
uterine bleeding
3. 40 - 58 years old, average
age 51 years
, Women’s Health Exam III: Menopause Study Guide
- encompassing the time from early menopausal transition to 12 months after final
menstrual period,
4. 1. During 1. During this time, estrogen levels fluctuate, which can cause heavy, irregular
perimenopause, periods and cramping.
what happens to 2. 5 years
estrogen levels?
2. How long
does peri-
menopause last
usually?
5. 1. what happens - Number of follicles are rapidly diminishing
to the number of - with less follicles, the ovary is producing less of all the sex steroids (E, P, A)
follicles? - and so they are not there to give negative feedback to the HPO axis.
6. 1. The ovaries be- 1. high peaking of FSH
fore more resis- - With less follicles, the ovary is producing less ott all the sex steroids (E,P,A)
tant to FSH stimu- - and so they are not there to give negative feedback to the HPO axis
lation - In response the pituitary puts out more and FSH and LH
7. 1. Can we 1. Although the hormones LH and FSH (especially FSH) are trending upward in
use hormone lev- menopause
els to diagnose 2. the actual levels hour to hour can be very erratic and that is why hormone testing
menopause? for menopause is considered to be very unreliable.
2. what are the
hours to hour
changes like?
8. 1. Once some- 1. FSH tends to be very high and stay forever at that peak level.
one has gone + In the years leading up to transition, hormone levels are erratic.
fully through 2. Professional guidelines do not recommend testing hormones level to diagnosis
menopause (a menopause (estrogen, FSH).
