Menopause is a natural process that all women experience.
The stages of menopause. The first is called perimenopause, followed by menopausal transition and the post-menopausal stage.
Perimenopause is the stage before menopause during which a woman's periods can become irregular, fluctuate in length and stop for months. Menopausal transition refers to the time after perimenopause when a woman's periods stop altogether. Postmenopausal refers to the stage when a woman's menstrual cycle has stopped for at least 12 months.
Menopausal symptoms can include hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, vaginal dryness and other hormonal changes that affect libido, sleep patterns and sexual activity. The average length of time to get through these stages is approximately five years.