It may be a change for the better. Menopause occurs when the ovaries stop producing the hormone estrogen. Menopause may occur naturally or when the ovaries are removed surgically. The end of the fear of becoming pregnant, a fear that may cause psychological distress and may affect health decisions on medications and forms of treatment. Doctors understand menopause better than in the past.
Effective treatments are available for the most common symptoms.
Research now underway should expand and refine these treatments. Menopause no longer carries the social stigma it once did. Women today are valued for contributions other than reproductive roles. Further, menopause itself is no longer a taboo topic. Many women going through menopause today went through natural childbirth and have participated in their health care, Dr. Utian notes.