Authors Julie A. Elder, DOHolly L. Thacker, MD Published: October 2013 Last reviewed: February 2016 Definition Menopause is defined as the absence of menses for 1 year. Women usually experience menopause between 40 and 55 years of age, with the median age being 51. Smokers and women with chronic illnesses tend to experience menopause at an earlier age. Menopause transition consists of fluctuating ovarian function and occurs 2 to 8 years before menopause and up to 1 year after the final…

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Slynd (drospirenone) for use as an oral contraceptive pill. The pill contains drospirenone 4 mg and comes in sets of 24 active pills along with 4 inactive tablets.The New Drug Application (NDA) for drospirenone was submitted to the FDA by Exeltis USA, Inc, which announced the approval of this progestin-only contraceptive tablet."Slynd may be an excellent choice for women who need or want safe and effective oral contraception without the…

My gynecologist's office closed suddenly, and I was having my pessary cleaned every 10 weeks. How do I clean it myself?

I started taking vaginal estrogen and now learned my dramatic hair loss may be a side effect. I recently stopped taking this medicine. I have an appointment with my gynecologist soon, but I’m panicking as I’m losing a handful of hair every day. What can I do?

What is the reason that Estrogen/Progesterone is not being prescribed by OB/GYNs after a certain age (70)?

How long do bladder lifts last? Will Attain help?

I am wondering if hormone therapy (BHT) is right for me if I am not experiencing any ill effects of menopause? I'm 52 and haven't had a period for about 14 months. However, I do not have hot flashes, night sweats, and in fact feel very good.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved a drug to return sexual desire to some women with low libido, the agency said Friday. The drug, bremelanotide, sold under the brand name Vyleesi by AMAG Pharmaceuticals, is an injection to be taken before sex. It's intended to treat women who are premenopausal and have hypoactive sexual desire disorder, where a lack of interest in sex may cause significant distress in a woman's life. It will be available in September, and the company has not yet…

Read weight loss expert and Specialized Women’s Health expert, Dr. Lynn Pattimakiel’s column on weight loss, including reviews on prescription weight loss medications and a new weight loss management device.

Read guest columnist, Cleveland Clinic Dr. Scott Bea’s column on 9 tips to boosting your mind and body.

What is the topical medicine to deal with excessive hair on face and chin? I have tried waxing and depilatories. Someone told me there is a cream that is a long term solution.

The FDA has cleared a noninvasive device to relieve acute migraine pain. Nerivio Migra is a "first-in-category product," according to Theranica, the company that makes it. It is worn on the upper arm and uses smartphone-controlled electronic pulses to relieve migraine pain. The device is for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults who don’t have chronic migraine. The FDA approved the device on the basis of results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled…

A baby girl born last month at Cleveland Clinic has made history. She was the first baby in North America delivered by a mother who received a uterus transplant from a deceased donor. The mother, who is in her mid-30s, is part of a groundbreaking research trial involving 10 women with uterine factor infertility. Women who have UFI don’t have a uterus, or had their uterus removed, so they aren’t able to get pregnant. The study is testing whether receiving a uterus transplant from a deceased…

By Holly L. Thacker, MDRomosozumab-aqqg/Evenity®, a new osteoporosistreatment, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April and will be available in the summer of 2019. This new treatment is a sclerostin inhibitor, which works through a novel (Wnt) pathway and has both anabolic and antiresorptive effects, increasing new bone formation and preventing bone breakdown. The prescribing information indicates that—if warranted—patients be continued on antiresorptive-only…

Read Women’s Health Specialist Dr. Holly L. Thacker’s and Cleveland Clinic Rheumatologist Dr. Feyrouz Al-Ashkar‘s column on autoimmune diseases in women and what you need to know!

Other than Estradiol vaginal cream and D-Mannose capsules, what can help the urinary urgency feeling I get at age 66? I have been checked for UTI and I usually don’t have one.

Dr. Taryn Smith discusses migraine treatments and what treatments are best for the different symptoms.

Tamara A. Sussman, MD, Megan L. Kruse, MD, Holly L. Thacker, MD and Jame Abraham, MD Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH Patients with breast cancer receiving antiestrogen therapy, specifically aromatase inhibitors, often suffer from vaginal dryness, itching, irritation, dyspareunia, and dysuria, collectively known as genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). GSM can decrease quality of life and is undertreated by oncologists because of fear of cancer recurrence, specifically when…

(HealthDay News) -- Many older men take testosterone to boost their sex drive, but new research suggests that postmenopausal women who struggle with a sagging libido might want to follow suit. Applied topically, the hormone appears to increase women's sexual function and satisfaction, according to a new review of 36 clinical trials involving nearly 8,500 women. Women naturally produce testosterone as well as estrogen, said lead researcher Susan Davis, a professor of women's health at the…

I am 79 years old and have had urge incontinence for years. I have an InterStim, which is not doing much good and I am considering purchasing a pelvic stimulating device. Can I use the device with the InterStim in place if I turn it off?