Designates October of each year as "Menopause Awareness Month" October 11 of each year as "Perimenopause Day," and October 18 of each year as "Postmenopause Day" in New Jersey.

AJR148

ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTION

No. 148

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� SHANIQUE SPEIGHT

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

Assemblywoman� LUANNE M. PETERPAUL

District 11 (Monmouth)

SYNOPSIS

���� Designates October of each year as �Menopause
Awareness Month,� October 11 of each year as �Perimenopause Day,� and October
18 of each year as �Postmenopause Day� in New Jersey.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

A Joint Resolution
designating
October of each year as �Menopause Awareness Month,� October 11 of each year as
�Perimenopause Day�, and October 18 of each year as �Postmenopause Day� in New
Jersey.

Whereas,
Menopause
is the natural biological process during
which a woman�s hormone levels change and the woman permanently stops having
menstrual periods,
and is diagnosed after 12 months without a menstrual
period; and

Whereas,

The average age a woman begins menopause
is 51, but it can commence anytime in a woman�s 40s or 50s
; and

Whereas,
In 2019,
there were 1.2 million women in New Jersey between 40 and 59 years of age; and

Whereas,
Symptoms of
menopause may disrupt a woman�s daily life and include hot flashes, low energy,
genital dryness, irritation, sexual dysfunction, urinary issues, dizziness,
thinning hair, mood swings, and night sweats and other sleep problems;
and

Whereas,

Menopause is not a disease and does not
require treatment, but there are actions that can be taken under the care of a
physician that can help mitigate the symptoms
, such as hormone therapy
to

help adjust the hormone changes associated with menopause,

vaginal
estrogen

to relieve vaginal dryness and some urinary symptoms, low-dose
antidepressants to decrease menopausal hot flashes
,
and homeopathy and
herbal treatments; and

Whereas,
In addition
to enduring the symptoms of menopause, the process is often a shrouded subject,
not discussed in families or the community, which results in women feeling
alone and isolated; and

Whereas,
Since 2009,
the International Menopause Society alongside the World Health Organization
have
designated
October
as �
World
Menopause Awareness Month� to raise awareness on menopause,
to serve as an opportunity to educate women, their families, and the clinical
community regarding the health and wellness of women as they age, and to draw
attention to the characterization of menopause by the mass media, which often
casts aging women in a negative light; and

Whereas,
Menopause is
preceded by a two to 10 year period known as
perimenopause during which a woman�s body makes the natural
transition to menopause with the production of eggs, estrogen, and progesterone
decreasing; and

Whereas,

Perimenopause is caused by the gradual decline of ovary function and estrogen
production, during which ovulation may become erratic, the menstrual cycle may
lengthen, and flow may become irregular before a woman�s final period; and

Whereas,
Common
symptoms can last for a few months to many years and may include:� irregular
periods or skipping periods; hot flashes; vaginal dryness and discomfort during
sex; urinary urgency; sleep problems; changes in mood; and depression; and

Whereas,

Perimenopause is a lesser known stage of the menopause process and individuals
may not realize that the symptoms the person is experiencing are associated
with perimenopause and may instead attribute the symptoms to aging, stress,
anxiety, and depression, which may result in the delay of appropriate treatment
from health care professionals; and

Whereas,
October 11
is recognized as �World Perimenopause Day� with the purposes of educating
people about mental health and the early signs of perimenopause and supporting
women going through perimenopause who may feel lost; and

Whereas,

Postmenopause is the period of time after menopause when a woman�s menstrual
periods have ceased for 12 consecutive months.� Natural postmenopause typically
occurs sometime between a woman�s late 40s and early 60s; and

Whereas,

Postmenopause is caused by the same hormonal changes that drive the entire
menopause transition and can be influenced by internal factors such as
fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone hormones and external factors such as
lifestyle habits, stress, surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy; and

Whereas,
It is a
common belief that the uncomfortable symptoms associated with perimenopause and
menopause will disappear once postmenopause begins; however, some women can
continue to experience these symptoms during postmenopause; and

Whereas,
Symptoms of
postmenopause can include vaginal bleeding and hot flashes in the early stages
of postmenopause, as well as vaginal dryness, urinary tract infections, weight
gain, incontinence, insomnia, osteoporosis, and high blood pressure throughout
the process; and

Whereas,

Postmenopausal women may be at an increased risk for health conditions such as
cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and urinary tract infections.� Early
detection of these health conditions can help women receive appropriate and
timely healthcare.� For example, a bone density screening test can help
postmenopausal women determine the levels of calcium in bones and allow
postmenopausal women to take timely action to prevent osteoporosis; and

Whereas,
The
International Menopause Society has designated October 18 as �World Menopause
Awareness Day� with the purpose of raising awareness of menopause and the
support options available for improving health and well-being throughout the
menopause process; and

Whereas,
It is fitting and proper
for New Jersey to join organizations across the globe by designating October of
each year as �Menopause Awareness Month,� October 11 of each year as
�Perimenopause Day,� and October 18 of each year as �Postmenopause Day� in order
to: raise awareness regarding the symptoms associated with perimenopause,
menopause, and postmenopause; to support the health and well-being of, and
promote management options for, women experiencing these natural biological
processes; and to combat stigma and misinformation surrounding this period in a
woman�s life; now, therefore,

����
Be It Resolved
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� In the State of New
Jersey, October of each year is designated �Menopause Awareness Month,� October
11 of each year is designated as �Perimenopause Day,� and October 18 of each
year is designated as �Postmenopause Day� in order to: raise awareness regarding
the symptoms associated with perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause; to
support the health and well-being of, and promote management options for, women
experiencing these natural biological processes; and to combat stigma and
misinformation surrounding this period in a woman�s life.

���� 2.��� The Governor is
respectfully requested to issue an annual proclamation recognizing October as
�Menopause Awareness Month,� October 11 as �Perimenopause Day,� and October 18
as �Postmenopause Day� and calling upon public officials and citizens of this
State to observe �Menopause Awareness Month,� �Perimenopause Day,� and
�Postmenopause Day� with appropriate activities and programs.�

���� 3.��� This joint resolution
shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

����� The joint resolution designates October of each year
as �Menopause Awareness Month,� October 11 of each year as �Perimenopause Day,�
and October 18 of each year as �Postmenopause Day� in New Jersey.� These
designations coincide with recognitions made by global organizations, such as
the International Menopause Society and the World Health Organization.

����� Menopause is a natural biological process in which a
woman�s menstrual cycle stops permanently.� The physical and emotional symptoms
that coincide with this process may disrupt a woman�s daily life
, and
is often a shrouded subject,
not discussed in families or the community, which results in women feeling
alone and isolated.

����� Perimenopause is the time during which a woman�s body
makes the natural transition to menopause and often begins about eight to 10
years before menopause.� Perimenopause is a lesser known stage of the menopause
process and individuals may not realize that the symptoms the person is
experiencing are associated with perimenopause and may instead attribute the
symptoms to aging, stress, anxiety, and depression.� Common symptoms can last
for a few months to many years and may include:� irregular periods or skipping
periods; hot flashes; vaginal dryness and discomfort during sex; urinary
urgency; sleep problems; changes in mood; and depression.

����� Postmenopause is the period of time after menopause
when a woman�s menstrual periods have ceased for 12 consecutive months.�
Natural postmenopause typically occurs sometime between a woman�s late 40s and
early 60s.� It is a common belief that the uncomfortable symptoms associated
with perimenopause and menopause will disappear once postmenopause begins;
however, some women can continue to experience symptoms during postmenopause.�
Postmenopausal women may also be at an increased risk for health conditions such
as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and urinary tract infections.

����� The designations made under this joint resolution
aim:� to raise awareness regarding the symptoms associated with perimenopause,
menopause, and postmenopause; to support the health and well-being of, and
promote management options for, women experiencing these natural biological
processes; and to combat stigma and misinformation surrounding this period in a
woman�s life.