Making choices at menopause

Menopause is a time of change in women's lives and an opportunity for health promotion. Women can present with a range of symptoms and concerns.

The aim of this article is to review the key components of the assessment of women who are perimenopausal or menopausal, and to discuss the benefits and risks of hormonal and non-hormonal treatments, thereby assisting clinicians to appropriately manage these women.

The majority of women who are symptomatic can be offered menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). To ensure women can make an informed choice about whether to use MHT, it is important for them to receive balanced and accurate information about the benefits and risks. For women with contraindications to MHT, or women who prefer not to use hormones, non-hormonal and complementary options may be considered. New non-hormonal options are likely to be available in the future.