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Knowledge hub

Welcome to the Menopause Wellbeing knowledge hub. Here you’ll find information about menopause, its stages and symptoms, and recent publications, news, and blog articles.

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Your guide to all things menopause Copy the link to heading

What is menopause?

People often use “menopause” as a catch-all term to describe all three stages of menopause: perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause, but it actually refers to a moment in time when you haven’t had a period for 12 months.

What are the stages of menopause?

There are three stages of menopause: perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. These stages cause hormonal changes which can impact your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

Premature menopause

Premature menopause (also known as premature ovarian insufficiency or primary ovarian insufficiency – POI) is when you enter menopause before the age of 40. Early menopause is when you enter menopause before the age of 45.

Menopause symptoms

When people talk about menopause symptoms, they’re usually talking about the symptoms of perimenopause, like hot flushes, sleep disturbances, and changes to your menstrual cycle.

Hormone therapy

Hormone therapy, sometimes called menopause hormone therapy (MHT) or hormone replacement therapy (HRT), is the most effective treatment we have for relieving many symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.

Can you manage your menopause symptoms through lifestyle and behaviour changes?

There's limited and mixed research showing that lifestyle and behaviour changes directly improve menopausal symptoms. However, some women find that making some lifestyle changes can help, even if indirectly.

Ngā pūrākau, ngā tānga, me te rangahau

Stories, publications, and research Copy the link to heading

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Perimenopause and arthritis: what's the connection?

Read the Q&A with Jo Miller, who's researching how people experience perimenopause and arthritis together. She shares insights from her research as well as top tips for people experiencing these conditions.

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What is a Nurse Practitioner anyway?

What exactly is a Nurse Practitioner? What are they trained in? And how can they help with your menopause? Director of Nursing and Nurse Practitioner Julie Avery provides some insight.

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Giveaway: the ultimate menopause support package

Make life during perimenopause and menopause a little easier with the ultimate support package – a giveaway to celebrate the launch of Menopause Wellbeing.

HRT Tile

Pharmac to fund Estradot and Estradiol TDP Mylan from 1 December

Menopause Wellbeing welcomes Pharmac’s decision to fund Estradot and Estradiol TDP Mylan from 1 December 2025. Dr Beth Messenger, medical director at Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa explains that “it’s important for people to have a range of treatment options and to access the medication that works best for them.”

Sexfeetgreen

Sex at menopause

Navigating sex during menopause is a deeply personal experience. Many people find themselves wanting to have less sex, while others want more. Or you might find your libido doesn’t change at all. Everyone is different.

Beth Messenger Consult

What are the pros and cons of different types of hormone therapy?

In this article, Dr Beth Messenger, medical director at Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa, explains the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of menopause hormone therapy (tablets, patches, gels, IUDs, and vaginal treatments).

Tania Huria Outside 240X206

Mana Wāhine and menopause – the value in decolonising the conversation

Dr Tania Huria, director of hauora māori and equity at Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa. shares thoughts on how we can decolonise the conversation around menopause.

Jackie Edmond Outside

Why we launched Menopause Wellbeing

Jackie Edmond, chief executive of Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa, shares her own menopause story, and why we decided to launch Menopause Wellbeing.