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Menstrual change during the menopause transition: do women find it problematic?
1National University of Singapore, Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Block E3A, 7 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117574, Singapore. nursjm@nus.edu.sg
Maturitas
|September 2, 2009
Summary
Menopause transition commonly brings heavier, less frequent, and irregular periods. However, only increased duration and irregularity are perceived as problematic by women, not changes in flow or frequency.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive endocrinology
- Women's health
- Menopause research
Background:
- The menopause transition involves significant hormonal shifts affecting the reproductive system.
- Menstrual cycle changes are a hallmark of this transition, impacting women's quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize menstrual cycle alterations during menopause transition.
- To assess women's perceptions of these menstrual changes as problematic.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional descriptive study with 119 women aged 37-70.
- Data collected via questionnaire on demographics, menopausal status, and menstrual characteristics (flow, duration, frequency, regularity).
Main Results:
- Common pattern observed: heavier, less frequent, irregular menstruation.
- 40-41% of women found overall changes not problematic.
- Increased duration (p=0.014) and irregularity (p=0.005) were significant, unlike flow (p=0.125) or frequency (p=0.142).
Conclusions:
- Increased menstrual duration and cycle irregularity are perceived as problematic during menopause transition.
- Heavier menstrual flow and increased cycle frequency are generally not considered problematic by women.
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