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"When most women think of menopause, they think of the irregularity and eventual cessation of their menstrual cycle," says Mali Bunde, a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology and researcher in the Life with Menopause study. " Experiencing irregular menstrual cycles, however, is only one sign or symptom women experience during the transition to menopause.  

"Although each woman's experience may be different, symptoms commonly related to menopause include vasomotor symptoms (i.e., hot flashes and night sweats), vaginal dryness and painful intercourse, and sleep disturbances.  

"Other symptoms may include difficulty thinking, forgetfulness, depression, anxiety, irritability, back pain, tiredness, urinary incontinence, uterine bleeding problems, and changes in libido or arousal.

"Women first experience menopausal symptoms during perimenopause. This is just a fancy name for the time immediately prior to menopause, when a woman's menstrual cycles are transitioning from normal menstrual periods to no periods at all. Menopause itself is marked from a year after a woman's final menstrual period. The age at which a woman experiences menopause varies from woman to woman; generally women are between the ages of 40 and 60.

"Why these symptoms occur is still an active area of research," says Bunde. "Much of the research has focused on the vasomotor symptoms, that is, hot flashes and night sweats. It may be that decreases in estrogen change body core temperature such that women may be more sensitive to small changes in the temperature of the surrounding environment. Furthermore, some research suggests that many of the other symptoms women experience, for example, sleep disturbances, may result from these vasomotor symptoms."  

Women with menopausal symptoms who are contemplating or have made a decision in the past six to 12 months about how to manage their symptoms are invited to participate in a University of Iowa research study that will last through October. For more information about the Life with Menopause study, call 319-335-0594 or e-mail.

The purpose of the research study is to have a greater understanding of women's experience of menopause and available treatments. Women will be asked to complete a one-time survey that will be mailed to them and returned to us at no charge. The survey asks about women's perceptions of the available options for managing their menopausal symptoms. Women will be compensated for their time and effort.

"Women really have a lot of options when choosing treatments for their menopausal symptoms," says Bunde. "Some women choose to take prescription hormone medication. Other women choose from a variety of herbs and supplements. Some women choose to change their diet or become more physically active. Still others choose to let the symptoms take their natural course."

Life with Menopause study

Call 319-335-0594 or e-mail

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