17 March 2025

Clinical Associate Professor Amanda Vincent is a leading Australian endocrinologist and menopause specialist, combining clinical practice in menopause with menopause related research, translation and education. Dr Vincent is lead endocrinologist in the Menopause and Menopause Oncology clinics, Monash Health, Clayton and Head of Early Menopause Research, Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, Monash University.

This webinar focuses on Fragile X-associated Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (FXPOI) and early menopause, covering health considerations and symptom management for women who are Fragile X premutation carriers.  Dr Vincent also discusses the risk factors for FXPOI, and touched on fertility management considerations for young women who may be at risk of fertility issues related to the Fragile X premutation.

The webinar was hosted by the Fragile X Association of Australia.

Used with permission.

The AMS partnered with the Fragile X Association of Australia for Fragile X and POI – What do I need to know?

This webinar, presented by AMS Past-President A/Professor Amanda Vincent is for women who are going through or at risk of POI due to FMR-1 pre-mutation.

The webinar covers:

• What is POI?
• What causes POI?
• FXPOI
• Risk factors
• Impact of POI
• Diagnosis
• Management

The webinar is hosted by a Karen Lipworth, Board Member of the Fragile X Association of Australia who herself was diagnosed with POI and subsequently the FMR pre-mutation, and she discusses her journey.

Located on the Healthtalk Australia website, the resources feature women’s and health professionals’ experiences and perspectives (via short audio and video clips), a with weblinks to information, and algorithms for health professionals, and information and resource pages including a . The resources are designed to support, inform and help with diagnosis, management and improved communication between women and their HPs for better health outcomes.

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We have seen increasingly dramatic headlines over the years on the risks of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), also known as hormone replacement therapy.

An alarming , which found an apparent increased risk of breast cancer in women who took MHT, prompted the first of these headlines.

But newer evidence has been reassuring. It’s also a reminder that when considering your options, any risk associated with taking MHT needs to be balanced with the benefits.

This balance is the main thing your GP will consider when discussing whether MHT is right for you.

This radio braodcast with Professor Martha Hickey and Dr Liz Farrell (AMS member and a past AMS President) is available to listen online of as a podcast.

ABC Radio
On Nightlife with Philip Clark

About half the population will go through menopause at some point in their lives - What are the symptoms? How effective is HRT is treating these symptoms? And How does menopause affect women at work? 

Helping us better understand the impacts of menopause are: Professor Martha Hickey, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Melbourne, and Dr. Elizabeth Farrell, a gynaecologist and Medical Director of Jean Hailes for Women's Health.

Access here: 

Testosterone blood levels in men are about 10-20 fold greater than in women and result in the male features we tend to associate with testosterone, such as deeper voice, more body hair, more muscle and so forth.

Testosterone blood levels in women tend to peak during their 20s. This is followed by a gradual decline with age. By the time a woman reaches menopause, blood testosterone levels are about one quarter of what they were at their peak. ^[2.] However, after the age of 65-70 years, women have testosterone blood levels similar to those seen in young women. ^[3.]

A sudden fall in testosterone blood levels occurs when women have both of their ovaries removed (surgical menopause). Other causes of low testosterone in women include:

• Use of the oral contraceptive pill - switches off testosterone production by the ovaries and produces a liver protein (SHBG) which may reduce the effects of testosterone;
• Oral steroid therapy - suppression of testosterone production by the adrenals;
• Anti-androgen therapy for acne, hirsutism or scalp hair loss - drugs that block the actions of testosterone in body cells; and
• Complete loss of pituitary function (panhypopituitarism).

To exclude other potential causes, we recommend you talk to your healthcare professional.

What are the consequences of low testosterone in women?

The effects of low testosterone in women have been greatly debated over many years. Firstly, and most importantly there is no blood level that can be used as a cut-off to “diagnose” low testosterone in women.

Some studies have indicated that there may be an association between low sexual desire and low testosterone, but this has not been a consistent finding in all studies. ^[4.]

For many, menopause conjures up feelings of embarrassment, hot flushes, mood swings and sleep disturbance. It doesn’t usually conjure up thoughts about the workplace.

Yet menopause at work is fast becoming a target of and organisational concern.

Download booklet here: Sexual wellbeing after menopause840.7 KB

Sexual wellbeing

Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social wellbeing related to sexuality.

Sexuality is an integral part of the human psyche. Sexuality is expressed throughout life in all people both consciously and unconsciously in body movements and body language, speech, appearance and in every imaginable way people interact with each other. The way people demonstrate their innate sexuality varies according to their stage of life. Sexuality is not limited by age, relationship status or sexual preference.

Studies across a number of countries have shown that women place high value on sexual intimacy in their relationships and the majority of women continue to be sexually active into their later years. [1., 2.]

Consequently, a decrease in sexual wellbeing and loss of intimacy can have profoundly negative effects. After menopause 30-50% of women experience sexual difficulties that adversely impact their intimate relationship, psychological wellbeing health, social functioning and overall quality of life. [3., 4.] However, there is a range of treatment options for women to consider.

Whilst this can be a natural phase in your life, it may important to see your healthcare professional to rule out other health conditions if other worrying symptoms occur.

Many women experience Abnormal Uterine Bleeding (AUB) during perimenopause. AUB  is defined as bleeding that differs in frequency, regularity, duration or amount to your regular menstrual bleeding. [1] Changes to the menstrual cycle often carry no significant consequences [2]; however, they could have a range of causes. Although it may simply be a symptom of perimenopause, it is still sensible to raise the issue with your healthcare professional. A thorough history and physical examination will indicate the cause of uterine bleeding and help discern the need for further investigation and treatment. [3] Other investigations for abnormal uterine bleeding include a PAP Smear, Endometrial or Uterine Sampling (Endometrial Biopsy), a Vaginal Ultrasound (Echography) and routine laboratory testing.

Changes before the Change1.06 MB

Menopause is the stage in your life when your periods stop permanently, signaling the end of your reproductive years. It happens when there are no more eggs in your ovaries. Because eggs stimulate your body to produce oestrogen, the levels of estrogen in the blood drop, resulting in menopausal changes in the body when they are exhausted.

As a result of the hormonal changes surrounding menopause, many women experience both physical and emotional symptoms:

• Hot flushes / flashes
• Night sweats
• Insomnia and disrupted sleep
• Racing heart / palpitations
• Weight gain (especially around the waist and abdomen)
• Headaches
• Changes to the skin, hair and nails
• Aches and pains in joints and muscles
• Lower sex drive
• Vaginal dryness, pain during sexual intercourse and increased risk of vaginal infections
• Inability to control urination and increased risk of urinary infections
• Difficulty concentrating and memory lapses
• Fatigue / low energy levels
• Mood swings and irritability
• Depression

What comes to mind – menopause and the aging brain?810.25 KB

Prevention is key to reducing memory loss as women age

What happens during the menopause?

All women go through the menopause. When a woman's menstrual periods stop, her ovaries stop producing eggs and her oestrogen levels decline.

51 years is the average age for a woman to reach the menopause and the entire process can last anywhere from 2-10 years. [1]

For comprehensive resources go to Menopause Management for Information Sheets and Videos to support women through midlife health and the menopause.

This information is organised into the following management categories for ease of reference: 

• Menopause Basics
• Menopause Treatment Options 
• Early Menopause
• Risks and Benefits
• Uro-genital
• Bones
• Sex and Psychological 
• Alternative Therapies
• Contraception 

Jean Kittson - comedienne and author 

When Jean Kittson hit menopause, she was amazed at what she didn't know. Given that 1.5 million Australian women are menopausal at any one time, why, she wondered, was menopause so little discussed and then only in hushed tones?

So Jean set out to write the sort of book she felt she needed to read: 'An easy-to-read book full of useful information that didn't make you want to put on an old chenille dressing-gown and a pair of comfortable slippers and throw yourself under a marching band.'

You're Still Hot to Me is a chatty - sometimes robust - conversation between women and with some of Australia's top experts. 

Professor Martha Hickey, BA (Hons) MSc (Clin Psych) MBChB FRANZCOG MD 

Professor Martha Hickey is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Melbourne and Adjunct Professor of OBGYN at Yale University, CT. In her clinical practice she runs the menopause services at The Women's Hospital, Melbourne. She initially trained as a Clinical Psychologist in the UK and then qualified in medicine in 1990 from the University of Bristol. She completed her specialist training in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2000 at Imperial College School of Medicine, London. She then moved permanently to Australia.

Professor Hickey is an experienced clinician researcher in gynaecology. Her main areas of interest are abnormal uterine bleeding and menopause. In the field of menopause she runs a large clinical service, offering unique multidisciplinary care for women with menopausal symptoms following a cancer diagnosis. She has clinical and research interests in the development of non-hormonal treatments for menopausal symptoms and in the mechanisms of abnormal bleeding in women using sex steroids for contraception or HRT.