Menopause: Ageing with grace

Good communication and mutual understanding between couples can make a difference for the woman going through menopause. Photo: Shutterstock/Ramsay Sime Darby

As we age as women, we will sooner or later be faced with menopause. Dr Joyce Lee Chai Yuit, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Subang Jaya Medical Centre, says menopause is a natural transition period in a woman’s life – when she stops having her period (or menses) and can no longer reproduce.

Biologically, the ovaries will stop releasing eggs and feminine hormones – oestrogen and progesterone. The average age for menopause in Malaysian women is around 51 years old.