Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2011 Sep;38(3):595-607.
doi: 10.1016/j.ogc.2011.05.010.

Menstruation and the menopausal transition

Affiliations
Review

Menstruation and the menopausal transition

Siobán D Harlow et al. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2011 Sep.

Abstract

This paper characterizes changes in menstrual bleeding during perimenopause,including bleeding changes that represent markers of the menopausal transition. Recent results from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation and other cohort studies are reviewed. Emerging data describing subpopulation differences in the transition experience are highlighted. When treating women in the midlife, clinicians should pay careful attention to medical factors, including both conditions and treatments, that may increase menstrual blood loss or alter menstrual cycle characteristics sufficiently to obscure the onset of the menopausal transition or the final menstrual period.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Treloar AE, Boynton RE, Behn BG, et al. Variation of the human menstrual cycle through reproductive life. Int J Fertil. 1967;12(1 Pt 2):77–126. - PubMed
    1. Vollman RF. The degree of variability of the length of the menstrual cycle in correlation with age of woman. Gynaecologia. 1956;142(5):310–314. - PubMed
    1. Chiazze L, Jr., Brayer FT, Macisco JJ, Jr., et al. The length and variability of the human menstrual cycle. JAMA. 1968;203(6):377–380. - PubMed
    1. Matsumoto S, Mogami Y, Ohkuri S. Statistical studies on menstruation; a crticism on the definition of normal menstruation. Gunma J med Sci. 1962;11:294–318.
    1. Wallace RB, Sherman BM, Bean JA, et al. Probability of menopause with increasing duration of amenorrhea in middle-aged women. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1979;135(8):1021–1024. - PubMed