This book is designed to meet the needs of nurse practitioners, other advanced practice nurses, and allied health professionals working in women’s health, primary care, and other specialties. The multiple roles the clinician embraces in menopause management include that of direct caregiver, manager of therapeutics, educator, and interdisciplinary team member or leader. This book provides updated, evidence based information on the menopause transition from the late reproductive stage to post-menopause to optimize the interaction of the clinician and the individual woman in each of those roles.

Women’s lived experiences of menopause and women’s concerns regarding both the menopause transition and the choice of care options are included as critical components of shared therapy decisions. The review of natural menopause physiology and the variability of menopause symptoms are inclusive of diverse women and diverse trajectories. The impact of menopause on chronic disease, sleep, weight and nutrition, mood and cognition, urogenital health and sexuality, as well as vasomotor symptoms are each developed as individual topics by experts in those fields. Evidence based management using hormonal and non-hormonal options, and life-style and other complementary interventions are discussed with the most updated advantages and disadvantages of each treatment option. Consistent with advanced practice nursing theory, the approach is whole patient focused.