A report entitled “STRAW+10” allows researchers and physicians to systematically and consistently identify the various reproductive stages women experience from adolescence to post-menopause. This support structure will help clinicians predict when a woman will enter menopause, as well as help them choose the most effective treatment options for menopausal symptoms and other associated conditions. The report is published in the journals Menopause, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Climacteric, and Fertility and Sterility.
In September 2011, a group of US and international experts met in Washington, DC, in order to examine the most recent scientific data on the hormonal changes that distinguish reproductive aging in women, and to reach an agreement on defining the reproductive stages in a woman’s life.
“STRAW+10” represents an update to the STRAW (Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop) system established a decade ago. STRAW has helped researchers across the world to better understand reproductive aging in women.
Janet E. Hall, M.D., president of The Endocrine Society, explained:
“STRAW+10″ provides a general road map to reproductive aging. The updates in the new report will guide future scientific studies of menopause and ultimately help predict the onset of the menopausal transition and menopause in individual women.”
Revisions in the “STRAW+10” include:
- Revised criteria for the late reproductive and early post-menopause stages
- Recommended application of this staging system to a wider range of women without limitation by body size, lifestyle characteristics, age or ethnicity
- Simplified bleeding criteria for the early and late transition of menopause
The symposium was co-sponsored by The Endocrine Society, The National Institute on Aging (NIA), The Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), as well as The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), and The International Menopause Society (IMS).
Written by Grace Rattue