• Introduction
• Annual Well Woman/Teen Visit
• Essure Permanent Birth Control
• Endometrial Ablation for abnormal vaginal bleeding
• Gynecological Surgery
• High Risk Pregnancy
• Cesarean Birth on Request
• Infertility Evaluation & Therapy
• Bio-Identical Ovarian Hormone Replacement with pellets
• Menopause
• Urinary Incontinence

Menopause

Menopause is defined as the cessation of menstrual periods for one year and occurs at a mean age of 51.4 years of age for normal women. However, for 5% of women it may not occur until after age 55 and for another 5% it may occur between ages 40-45 years. The early pre-menopause transition is characterized by more than 35 days between menses and late pre-menopause is characterized by 2 skipped menses and at least 60 days since your last menses. There is a blood test for FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) that can medically diagnose menopause. The level for this hormone becomes very high in menopause and the cost of this test is covered by most insurances.

Menopause is defined as the cessation of menstrual periods for one year and occurs at a mean age of 51.4 years of age for normal women. However, for 5% of women it may not occur until after age 55 and for another 5% it may occur between ages 40-45 years. The early pre-menopause transition is characterized by more than 35 days between menses and late pre-menopause is characterized by 2 skipped menses and at least 60 days since your last menses. There is a blood test for FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) that can medically diagnose menopause. The level for this hormone becomes very high in menopause and the cost of this test is covered by most insurances.

The menstrual cycle is directly controlled by the hormones, estrogen and progesterone released from follicles in the ovary. There is a loss of follicles starting long before your birth and this loss continues throughout life. The loss of follicles results in decreasing estrogen and progesterone being released from the ovary and levels become critically low for normal menstrual function during the menopause transition. When the follicles are eventually depleted, the ovary no longer produces any estrogen and this often results in decreased quality of life and physical changes associated with aging and ultimately, disability.

So, if you are experiencing the menopausal transition and look in the mirror and wonder “who is this woman?”, see the web page on hormone pellet therapy for a thorough discussion of the benefits and safety of this treatment for surgical menopause and the natural menopause. The goal of treatment is to help you feel the way you did in your mid 30’s and slow down physical aging, safely.