Diagnosis

Menopause is clinically diagnosed in the majority of cases based on the following circumstances:

• appropriate age;
• suggestive symptoms;
• amenorrhoea for ≥ 12 months.

Hormone tests are not usually necessary, except in specific circumstances.

In women using hormonal contraception, cycles may be altered or suppressed, which means that menopause cannot be clinically confirmed; an individualised assessment is therefore necessary.

A recent systematic review (2025) highlights that certain psychological symptoms of menopause, such as mood or sleep disturbances, are not always recognised as such, which can delay diagnosis and management*.

The recommendations of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) emphasise that menopause can manifest through a variety of symptoms, including sleep and mood disorders in particular. They stress the need for management tailored to the symptoms presented by the patient and for a primarily clinical diagnosis, with hormone testing only indicated in specific situations.

Similarly, the International Menopause Society notes that the onset of symptoms is often earlier than suggested by criteria based on menstrual irregularities, highlighting the limitations of an approach relying solely on these criteria.

Together, these findings underscore the importance of a comprehensive clinical assessment that takes the varied symptoms reported by patients into account.