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The menopause is one of the clinical manifestations of the climacteric. It is a sure sign of diminishing ovarian function and the hormonal deficiency which stems from it. Premenopause is characterized by a progesterone insufficiency which manifests in menstrual irregularity and menometrorrhagia. Treatment with progesterone replacement alone is most often sufficient. Menopause is the cessation of menstruation, sometimes without other symptoms. Immediate postmenopause is the most difficult period to live through; symptoms arise from the disappearance of ovarian secretions and an estrogen/progesterone replacement is necessary. Late postmenopause is sometimes complicated by osteoporosis, which estrogen helps prevent, but calcium should be added for greater effect. It is preferable to prevent the harmful effects of the menopause rather than cure the pathological consequences.