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Long-term impacts of menopause

Women commonly experience a variety of symptoms during menopause, but menopause is also characterised by other changes, some of which are long-term. 

Positive long-term impacts of menopause include freedom from monthly periods and, for some women and people with ovaries, an end to bothersome premenstrual symptoms. It may also mean no longer needing to use contraception, although using protection against sexually transmitted infections continues to be important. 

Following menopause our bone density will start to decline due to falling oestrogen levels, which can increase our chance of developing osteoporosis. Ensuring you are getting enough calcium and vitamin D (through what you eat) and doing weight-bearing exercises can help protect your bone health (for more information on appropriate exercises for older women, see Physical activity).

Although rates of heart disease increase after menopause, there is no clear evidence that this is due to menopause rather than ageing. For more information, please see Heart health for women. 

Illustration in long term effects of menopause
References

Australasian Menopause Society (2017) Menopause what are the symptoms?  

Australasian Menopause Society (2019) Lifestyle and behavioural modifications for menopausal symptoms. 

Australasian Menopause Society (2022) What is menopause? 

Alspaugh A, Im E-O, Reibel M, Barroso J (2021) The reproductive health priorities, concerns, and needs of women in midlife: a feminist poststructuralist qualitative analysis. Qualitative Health Research. 31(4): 643-653 

Calvaresi E, Bryan J (2003) Symptom experience in Australian men and women in midlife. Maturitas. 44(3): 225-36 

Cheung AS, Nolan BJ, Zwickl S (2023) Transgender health and the impact of ageing and menopause. Climacteric. 26(3): 256-262 

Continence Foundation of Australia (2021) Who it affects 

Glyde T (2021) How can therapists and other healthcare practitioners best support and validate their queer menopausal clients?. Sexual and Relationship Therapy 

Haggan M (2019) Breaking the taboo: the real story of menopause. AJP: The Australian Journal of Pharmacy. 100(1181): 44-48 

Health Talk Australia (2023) Early menopause experiences and perspectives of women and health professionals  

Hickey M (2022) Normalising menopause. The British Medical Journal. 377(e069369) 

Hoga L, Rodolpho J, Gonçalves B, Quirino B (2015) Women's experience of menopause: a systematic review of qualitative evidence. JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep. 13(8), 250-337  

Lobo RA, Gompel A (2022) Management of menopause: a view towards prevention. The Lancet: Diabetes and Endocrinology. 10(6): 457-470 

Magraith K, Stuckey B (2019) Making choices at menopause. Australian Journal of General Practice. 48(7): 457-462 

Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health (2023) Menopause fact sheets in eleven languages 

My Meno Plan (2020) What if I am transgender or non-binary? 

North American Menopause Society (2023) Instant help for induced menopause 

North American Menopause Society (2023) Urinary incontinence 

Philpott L (2017) OTC: Women's health: a time for change: post menopausal health. AJP: The Australian Journal of Pharmacy. 98(1159) 

Philpott L (2022) Menopause: supporting women in midlife and beyond. AJP: The Australian Journal of Pharmacy. 103(1213): 54-56, 58 

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