As the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving women’s health and quality of life through an understanding of menopause, The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) has always been counted on to provide reliable and up-to-date information that will help women make informed health decisions during menopause and beyond.

Our Menopause Guidebook, Early Menopause Guidebook, e-newsletter Menopause Flashes and award-winning Web site (www.menopause.org) are highly regarded. Now, NAMS will educate through a magazine format as well.

NAMS is pleased to collaborate with Porter Media, the publisherand owner, to bring this new magazine to those who need it. With the Society’s involvement, you can be sure that the editorial content of Changes is scientifically accurate and unbiased.

Menopause is a passageway to a new part of life when most women report feeling more confident, empowered, involved, and energized than in their younger years. The end of fertility can bring liberation from concerns about birth control, menstrual periods, and associated disorders such as endometriosis and PMS. Of course, menopause is a reminder of aging, which may cause distress in a society that values youth and fertility. Health problems may also arise when changing hormone levels and the physical effects of aging are coupled with the stresses of midlife. One thing, however, is true for all women—menopause presents an opportunity for you to assess and enhance both your health practices and your quality of life. And Changes is here to help.

I encourage you to read these articles, then ask questions of your health care providers. The primary message for you at this stage of life is that you can enjoy your body and yourself well into old age, provided you make informed, responsible choices.

Marcie K. Richardson, MDCo-Director
Menopause Consultation Service
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
Boston, MA
Member, Board of Trustees
The North American Menopause Society (NAMS)
NAMS Editor, Changes