Over the course of the last century, improvements in health and general living standards have led to a dramatic increase in the average life expectancy. This means that one-third of a woman's life is now likely to be spent in the postmenopausal years. Although the transition from a fertile to a non-fertile state is an entirely natural process, it has become increasingly obvious that the decline in oestrogen production that characterises the menopause has early and long-term health implications in some women.

The early effects include vasomotor instability (hot flushes and sweats), irregular vaginal bleeding patterns, depressive episodes, vaginal atrophy and many other complaints influencing quality of life. The long-term consequences are more detrimental, in that oestrogen loss is closely associated with the development of osteoporosis and fractures. These osteoporotic fractures have serious implications in terms of increased morbidity and mortality.

Organon has held a leading position in gynaecology ever since it standardised the world’s first oestrogen extract (estrone) in 1926. Today Organon offers a variety of menopausal therapies to alleviate menopause-related symptoms and protect women’s long-term health.