Clare Spencer
Clare is a registered menopause specialist and GP. She qualified from Cambridge University and holds Membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Royal C...
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Who are you?
Hi, I'm Dr. Claire Spencer. I'm Co-founder of my Menopause Centre and also an NHS Menopause Specialist and gp. Feel free to ask me anything you want to about the menopause.
What is menopause?
The menopause actually means end of monthly periods, and it's defined as having 12 months of no period, but it's really more of a transition time. So what happens in this transition is the ovaries stop releasing eggs, they stop producing hormones, the most important of which is oestrogen. And as a consequence, menopause symptoms are experienced. It's a natural part of ageing for most women. Although some women will have an early menopause, some women will have a later menopause, some women will have a menopause as a result of medical treatments or even surgery.
What is a surgical menopause?
A surgical menopause is when a woman will have her ovaries removed for either medical reasons or as cancer preventative treatment, and as a consequence, she will be plummeted quickly into the menopause. As without the ovaries, the hormone levels will suddenly drop off.