Menopausal status: subjectively and objectively defined

This study aims to assess the relationship between self-rated and menstrual ly defined menopausal status, assesses criteria women use in perceiving the ir own menopausal status and compares symptom reporting and hormonal levels for self-rated and menstrually defined menopausal status. Women in the thi rd year of the longitudinal phase of the Melbourne Women's Midlife Health P roject (n = 332) were asked to assess their own menopausal status and the b asis for this assessment. They were also specifically questioned on current menstrual cycle characteristics and levels of follicle-simulating hormone (FSH) estradiol and inhibin were measured. For 67% of the women, the two de finitions of menopausal status were in agreement. In women menstrually defi ned as premenopausal, self-rated menopausal status of peri- or postmenopaus al appeared to be based on the occurrence of symptoms. In women menstrually defined as postmenopausal, persistence of hot flushes was taken to mean th at 'the menopause was still in progress' despite absence of menses for more than 12 months. In women menstrually defined as perimenopausal yet who sel f-rated as premenopausal, FSH war lower (p < 0.01) and inhibin higher (p = 0.05) than women who self-rated as peri- or postmenopausal. Women's percept ions of the menopause are based an symptoms. Self-rated menopausal status a ppears to relate more closely to a woman's endocrine status than definition s based on purely menstrual cycle characteristics.