Mature woman in a business suit sitting in front of electric fan, looking uncomfortably hot.

Sean De Burca, Getty Images

How Much Do You Really Know About Menopause?

Take our quiz to separate the facts from falsehoods about 'the change'

Barbara Stepko,

Updated March 01, 2022

AARP

En español

Published July 30, 2018

/ Updated March 01, 2022

9 Questions

22c547da-1558-498f-908b-0c96272673c5

With age, they say, comes wisdom. We’ll take it. Unfortunately, menopause is also part of the deal: hot flashes, lousy sleep and a belly that on a bad day feels more flour sack than six-pack. Whether you’ve gone through the process already or it’s on the horizon, advances in women’s health care and new thinking about diet and fitness mean there’s probably something that’s news to you. Take our quiz to find out how much you really know.

How Much Do You Really Know About Menopause?

[ {
  "question" : "1. The transition into menopause can last:",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "less than 1 year",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "2 years",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "3 years",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "none of the above",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The time leading up to menopause varies from person to person, but usually lasts about seven years, according to the National Institute on Aging. For some women, it can be as long as 14 years.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "2. True or false? Race influences how a woman experiences menopause.",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "True",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "False",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Not only do Black women tend to enter perimenopause (the transition period before menopause) and menopause at a younger age than their white peers, but their symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats, are often more intense, data from a large national study shows. The same study found Asian women experienced these symptoms the least; Hispanic and white women fell somewhere between the Black and Asian groups.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "3. The amount of bone mass lost during the five to seven years after menopause is:",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "up to 7 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "up to 12 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "up to 20 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "about 32 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Bone loss can increase the risk of developing osteoporosis.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "4. True or false? The risk of heart disease can also increase during menopause.",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "A. True",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "B. False",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Poor-quality sleep and depression, both of which can occur during menopause, have been linked to increased heart disease risk. Also, production of estrogen, which may protect the heart, slows, and changes in cholesterol levels and blood pressure can occur.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "5. True or false? The hot flashes stop when your periods stop.",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "True",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "False",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Hot flashes can last for several years after menopause. What’s more, research shows Black and Hispanic women have hot flashes for more years than white and Asian women.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "6. Symptoms of menopause can include:",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Headaches",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Heart palpitations ",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Memory problems",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "All of the above",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Hot flashes are a common symptom of menopause, but not the only one. And because menopausal symptoms may be caused by changing hormone levels, it’s impossible to predict how often women will experience symptoms and how severe they will be, the National Institute on Aging says.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "7. There’s no way to treat the symptoms of menopause; you just have to deal with them.",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "True",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "False",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Lifestyle changes, non-hormone treatments and hormones can all help ease the symptoms of menopause.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "8. True or false? Menopause can lead to changes in the brain.",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "True ",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "False",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "“The change” can also cause some midlife brain changes, like forgetfulness and a feeling of “brain fog.”",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "9. Exercise during, before and after menopause can help with the following:",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Mood swings",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Cancer risk",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Hot flashes",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Both of the first two",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Exercise can counter many of menopause’s symptoms. Studies are inconclusive on whether working out helps with hot flashes, but research has linked a sedentary lifestyle with more severe menopausal symptoms.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

Quiz Progress

0 Correct

0 Incorrect