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Hello, this is Six Minute English from BBC Learning English, I'm Sam, and I'm Georgina.
Something that affects almost every woman at some point in her life is the menopause.
The menopause is a natural part of aging that happens as a woman's hormones decline,
and she stops having monthly periods and being able to get pregnant naturally.
With the menopause comes physical signs.
These vary from person to person,
and often include hot flushes, mood swings, and night sweats.
But besides these, there may be other changes too, and living through it can be isolating both personally and professionally.
In many societies, the menopause is still taboo,
not talked about in public for social or religious reasons,
or because people are uncomfortable discussing it.
But recently, high-profile women, like former First Lady Michelle Obama,
have started speaking up.
In this programme we'll be hearing from two other women trying to make the menopause more visible in society.
And of course, we'll be learning some related vocabulary as well,
but first let me ask you my quiz question, Georgina.
As we mentioned, the menopause is part of the natural aging process, and usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.
But what is the average age for a woman to reach the menopause in Britain?