About the guide
About Climacteric
Why This Site Exists
Most people say “menopause” when they mean the whole transition. The medical term for that longer journey — from the first irregular cycles through the years after the final period — is the climacteric. This site explains it clearly, without hype, using current professional guidance.
Editorial Review
Content on Climacteric is medically reviewed by Thomas E. Burns III, MD, a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist with more than 25 years of experience in the practice of menopausal medicine.
Editorial Approach
We summarise professional guidance in plain language, note where evidence is strong and where it is uncertain, and update pages when guidance changes. News briefs draw only from U.S. government health agencies and federally maintained research sources, and remain private until an editor reviews them. We do not sell products or accept payment to feature treatments. This site is supported by advertising. Advertisers have no influence over content.
Resources
The guide draws principally on the 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit. The detailed companion references draw on the 2020 clinical review; older findings and treatment thresholds are identified as dated rather than presented as current prescribing instructions.
- Davis SR, Taylor S, Hemachandra C, et al. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause. Climacteric. 2023;26(6):517–536. doi:10.1080/13697137.2023.2258783.
- Santen RJ, Heitjan DF, Gompel A, et al. Approach to Managing a Postmenopausal Patient. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2020;105(12):3792–3806. doi:10.1210/clinem/dgaa623.
- Cauley JA, Robbins J, Chen Z, et al. Effects of estrogen plus progestin on risk of fracture and bone mineral density: the Women’s Health Initiative randomized trial. JAMA. 2003;290(13):1729–1738. doi:10.1001/jama.290.13.1729.
- Siris ES, Miller PD, Barrett-Connor E, et al. Identification and fracture outcomes of undiagnosed low bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: results from the National Osteoporosis Risk Assessment. JAMA. 2001;286(22):2815–2822. doi:10.1001/jama.286.22.2815.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. VEOZAH (fezolinetant) tablets: prescribing information. Initial U.S. approval 2023; revised December 2024.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. LYNKUET (elinzanetant) capsules: prescribing information. Initial U.S. approval 2025; revised October 2025.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. HHS Advances Women’s Health, Removes Misleading FDA Warnings on Hormone Replacement Therapy. Press announcement, November 10, 2025.
Journal articles include links to their original government or federally maintained research sources. Source-based companion references do not claim a new medical review.
Climacteric is for educational purposes only. It does not replace diagnosis, treatment, or advice from a qualified health professional who knows your individual medical history.