Washington, DC -- As the nation's leading group of physicians providing health care for women throughout their lifespan, The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is pleased to support Menopause Awareness Month.

ACOG encourages women to educate themselves about their midlife health issues and to talk with their ob-gyn about their concerns.

Menopause is defined as the time when a woman's ovaries cease functioning and monthly menstruation stops. A woman has reached menopause when she has stopped having a period for 12 consecutive months, which happens for most women around age 51. Perimenopause is the transitional stage leading up to menopause and lasts about four years but may be longer or shorter. Every day an estimated 6,000 women in the US reach menopause, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By the year 2020, there will be approximately 46 million women older than age 55, half of whom will live to be at least age 80.

To help women make informed decisions about their health during perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause, ACOG publishes pause®, a free digital magazine available online. The latest issue features real women, ranging in age from 44 to 76, speaking up about "The Change." These women talk frankly about coping with hot flashes, hormone therapy, sleep problems, sex, and more. Other new articles include, The Vaginal Dialog–What Happens 'Down There,' Uterine Rebellions, Grapping with Grief, and The Secret Sex Lives of Americans. pause® magazine also contains up-to-date, informative articles about hormone therapy, hysterectomy, vitamins and minerals, exercise, and more.

ACOG's pause® website is focused on helping women become proactive about their well-being by giving them relevant, up-to-date information they need to take charge of their health. Here, women can get answers to commonly asked questions from ob-gyn experts, read first-person accounts from women about how they deal with menopause symptoms, use the Doctor Locator to find an ob-gyn, and sign up to receive the free e-newsletter, Managing Menopause.

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The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College), a 501(c)(3) organization, is the nation's leading group of physicians providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of approximately 55,000 members, The College strongly advocates for quality health care for women, maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members, promotes patient education, and increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing women's health care. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a 501(c)(6) organization, is its companion organization.