If you’re under 40, the menopause might seem like the least of your worries right now. But for some women, this transition can happen earlier than they might expect – even as early as their 30s, in rare cases. And you almost certainly know a family member, friend or colleague who’s going through menopause, or is likely to soon. After all, it affects around half the world’s population at some point.

But many women feel unprepared for what lies ahead. One survey found almost half of women feel completely uninformed about the menopause, and nearly 95% saying they were never taught about the menopause in school.

This means many women don’t have the knowledge they need to navigate this life transition or understand what’s happening to the people they know who are going through it. This is despite the fact it can last for many years, and can have a profound effect on almost every aspect of a woman’s life.

Here are five essential things to know about menopause that you probably weren’t taught in school.

Menopause marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years. This occurs when the ovaries stop releasing eggs and hormone levels decline. So the term “menopause” refers to when your periods stop for good. This is diagnosed retrospectively, after you’ve gone 12 months with no periods (in the absence of other influences, such as the pill).

The menopause typically happens between the ages of 45 and 55 – though this varies slightly by geographic region. For example, in the UK the average age of the menopause is 50. The reason for geographic variation isn’t completely understood, but might be due to differences in factors such as diet, lifestyle and health.

The menopause is sometimes referred........

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