Session 1: What are we are talking about?
Introduction
According to the British Menopause Society (2020), menopause is ‘a major life event affecting all women in a variety of ways, both short and long term’. So, what is menopause?
The word ‘menopause’ simply refers to the end of the menstrual cycle, which is caused when the ovaries stop producing eggs. The term comes from the Greek terms menos (meaning month) and pausos (meaning ending) (Hillard et al., 2017).
Activity 1 Introduction to menopause
By way of introduction, watch Video 1, where members of the public are asked about their understanding of the menopause.

Transcript: Video 1 What is the menopause?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[TEXT ON SCREEN: What is the menopause?]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Now compare your own perceptions of the menopause to those of the people interviewed in the film.
Discussion
Different people will have a different understanding of the menopause but seeing it as the change is useful as hormone levels change so how the person feels changes and this can affect what they do and how they behave around other people. Also, looking at the menopause as ‘puberty in reverse’ is interesting as those hormones whose levels rose during puberty are now falling causing unpleasant symptoms.
By the end of this session, you should be able to:
- explain what happens during the menopause and the impact this has
- identify the different types of menopause
- identify when the menopause happens and its different stages
- appreciate the hormones involved the roles they each play.