Women’s health

We are committed to delivering medical innovation that will improve menopause care for millions of women.

A group of diverse females in the water by a pier, symbolizing how menopause is a stage of life all women will experience and Astellas’ commitment to medical innovation.

What is menopause?

Menopause is a natural stage of life that all women, and people assigned female at birth, experience.

Menopause has three different stages:

Perimenopause

Perimenopause

This is the time leading up to menopause where the ovaries gradually stop working. During the perimenopause, sexual hormones may have more significant fluctuations, with menstrual irregularities and worsening of premenstrual symptoms, well before the last period.

Women may experience changes such as shorter or irregular periods or other menopausal symptoms.1 This can happen up to 10 years before the menopause even begins.2 Fertility drops as menopause approaches due to irregular periods and ovulation cycles.3,4 Perimenopause usually occurs between the ages of 45 to 55, but it can happen earlier.5

Menopause

Menopause

This is a point in time when a woman has not had a period for 12 consecutive months.6 Ovaries stop releasing eggs for fertilization, meaning you can no longer get pregnant (with the exception of rare cases).7 Most women across all ethnicities experience menopause between ages 40 and 58, but the average age is 51.8

Postmenopause

Postmenopause

This is the time after menopause has happened, starting when a woman has not had a period for 12 consecutive months.

Menopause can also happen when both ovaries are removed through surgery, or as a result of treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or hormone suppressive therapies before you have gone through natural menopause. This is called a surgical menopause or treatment-induced menopause.7

A mother and daughter engage in conversation, illustrating how crucial it is to understand the impact of VMS on women’s health.

Understanding the impact of menopause on women's health

It is crucial to acknowledge the significant changes many women experience during menopause and the support they may need to navigate this transition.

By 2030, an estimated 1.2 billion women will be peri- and postmenopausal, and millions will be impacted by vasomotor symptoms or VMS (hot flushes/night sweats) associated with menopause.9

VMS are common (worldwide, up to 80% of women going through menopause will experience VMS) and can impact many aspects of a woman’s life, including sleep, ability to focus and personal relationships.10,11

Menopausal symptoms can also pose a significant economic burden to women in middle age, causing difficulties coping at work for around a third of working women, with reports that women with severe menopausal symptoms feel fatigued at work prompting some to consider changing careers, reducing their hours, or leaving the workforce.12

Addressing the stigmas associated with menopause

Astellas is investing in research to better understand how stigma is impacting menopause care, so that targeted strategies can be developed with the community to reduce its impact.

A woman contemplates VMS, which is why Astellas invests in research to better understand how stigma is impacting menopause care.

In a recent study, 83% of women reported feeling stigma associated with their menopause symptoms.13

Nearly half (44%) of women experiencing menopause symptoms ‘suffer in silence’ at work, due to fears it could negatively impact their career.14

Many of the barriers preventing optimal care in menopause stem from the stigma associated with this natural life stage. This discourages open discussion, limits education, and results in inadequate healthcare provider training. Consequently, many women suffer in silence and avoid talking to their doctor and seeking care for their symptoms.

Keep exploring

A scientist studies samples under a microscope, advancing Astellas' strategies to reduce the impact of VMS.

Research and development

Through our research and development programs, we are pioneering new healthcare solutions for diseases with high unmet medical need. Learn more about our R&D approach.

A patient surrounded by loved ones shows Astellas’ focus on improving quality of life with real-world treatment impact.

Patient centricity

We support the development of innovative health solutions through a deep understanding of the patient experience, real-world evidence, medical needs and behavioral drivers of care. Learn more about how we are mobilizing teams across Astellas to improve patient outcomes.

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Healthcare professionals

We invite healthcare professionals to visit our HCP portal, where you will find valuable information and resources that reflect our commitment to collaboration and addressing unmet medical needs.

1Johns Hopkins Medicine. Perimenopause. Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/perimenopause#:~:text=Perimenopause%20is%20the%20time%20around,%2C%20antidepressants%2C%20and%20lifestyle%20changes. Last accessed: March 2025. 

 

2Harvard Health Publishing. Perimenopause: the rocky road to menopause. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/perimenopause-rocky-road-to-menopause#:~:text=What%20is%20perimenopause?,of%20its%20more%20distressing%20features. Last accessed: November 2024.

 

3Delamater L, Santoro N. Management of the Perimenopause. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2018 Sep;61(3):419-432. doi: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000389.

 

4Perimenopause. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/perimenopause#:~:text=What%20is%20perimenopause?,and%20more%20irregular%20menstrual%20cycles. Last accessed: November 2024. 

 

5NHS inform. Menopause. Available at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/womens-health/later-years-around-50-years-and-over/menopause-and-post-menopause-health/menopause/#:~:text=Perimenopause%20and%20menopause%20are%20a,seeking%20support%20from%20healthcare%20professionals. Last accessed: November 2024.

 

6Mayo Clinic. Menopause. Symptoms and causes. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/symptoms-causes/syc-20353397. Last accessed: November 2024. 

 

7World Health Organization. Menopause. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/menopause#:~:text=After%20menopause%2C%20a%20woman%20cannot,of%20surgical%20or%20medical%20procedures. Last accessed: November 2024.

 

8Santoro, N. F. (2019). Menopause. In: C. J. Crandall, G. A. Bachman, S. S. Faubion, W. Klein, J. H. Liu, J. E. Manson, J. Mortimer, J. V. Pinkerton, N. F. Santoro, J. L. Shifren, R. C. Thurston, Eds, Menopause Practice: A Clinician’s Guide. (6th ed., p1-21). The North American Menopause Society.

 

9Hill K. The demography of menopause. Maturitas. 1996 Mar;23(2):113-27. doi: 10.1016/0378-5122(95)00968-x. PMID: 8735350.

 

10Dahlgren et al (2023). Identifying Variables Associated with Menopause-Related Shame and Stigma: Results from a National Survey Study. Journal of women's health (2002), 32(11), 1182–1191.

 

11Nappi RE, Kroll R, Siddiqui E, et al. Global cross-sectional survey of women with vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause: prevalence and quality of life burden. Menopause. 2021;28:875-882.

 

12Whiteley, J., DiBonaventura, M. dC., Wagner, J-S., Alvir, J., & Shah, S. (2013). The impact of menopausal symptoms on quality of life, productivity, and economic outcomes. Journal of Women’s Health, 22(11), 983-990. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3820128

 

13Dahlgren et al (2023). Identifying Variables Associated with Menopause-Related Shame and Stigma: Results from a National Survey Study. Journal of women's health (2002), 32(11), 1182–1191.

 

14Independent. (2023) Menopause stigma still ‘rife’ in workplaces as women fear for their careers. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/menopause-employers-symptoms-davina-mccall-b2344832.html.