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.

SJR62 TR

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

No. 62

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

Senator NICHOLAS P. SCUTARI

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

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 reported by the Senate Health, Human Services and
Senior Citizens Committee with technical review.

��

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.

����
Be It Resolved

by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of 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

h
omeopathy
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.