“…and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.” Genesis 18:11

The story of Abraham and Sarah remains a timeless reminder of God’s ability to work miracles and is riveting account of a child being conceived and born to a woman who was of advanced age. ‘The manner of women’ had ceased to be with Sarah - that is, her reproductive system no longer functioned as it did when she was younger. In simple terms, she had entered menopause. So, what is menopause?

This is a natural phase of a woman’s life as she ages. It is normally described as the final menstrual period in which a woman is not able to bear children. Although Aristotle referred to age at menopause being 40 years, it was a French physician Dr. Charles Négrier who coined the term menopause in 1821. Menopause is also known as the climacteric. The word menopause itself comes from the Greek, ‘men’ for month, and ‘pausis’ for pause.

There are two types of menopause. There is spontaneous or natural menopause is recognized retrospectively after 12 months of amenorrhea (no period). It occurs at an average age of 52 y ears, but the age of natural menopause can vary widely from 40 to 58 years. Induced menopause refers to the cessation of menstruation that occurs after either bilateral oophorectomy (removal of both ovaries) or iatrogenic ablation of ovarian function (eg, destruction of ovarian tissue by chemotherapy or pelvic radiation).

Menopause is a natural part of aging and comes with various effects on the body. A knowledge of the process and the utilization of the various resources available can greatly improve the experience for the woman. Most importantly, though creation has been ravaged by the effects of sin, the God who created the human body, is able to restore and support us physically, mentally, socially and spiritually.

Material contributed by Dr. Heather F. Fletcher - Menopause Educator