HR 262 — A Resolution designating the month of October 2025 as "Menopause Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

PRINTER'S NO.   1960

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 262
                                              Session of
                                                2025

     INTRODUCED BY SHUSTERMAN, HILL-EVANS, PIELLI, RIVERA, SANCHEZ,
        HANBIDGE, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, MAYES, GILLEN, HOHENSTEIN, PARKER,
        D. WILLIAMS AND MADDEN, JUNE 17, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, JUNE 18, 2025


                               A RESOLUTION
 1   Designating the month of October 2025 as "Menopause Awareness
 2      Month" in Pennsylvania.
 3      WHEREAS, Menopause is the stage of a woman's life that is
 4   reached after 12 consecutive months have passed without a
 5   menstrual period; and
 6      WHEREAS, For many women, menopause is a natural, biological
 7   process, though induced menopause can be caused by surgery or
 8   medical treatments; and
 9      WHEREAS, Women generally achieve menopause between 45 and 55
10   years of age, after experiencing the transition through
11   perimenopause during the 8 to 10 years prior; and
12      WHEREAS, Once menopause is achieved, it signals that a
13   woman's ovaries have stopped producing reproductive hormones and
14   a woman enters the postmenopausal stage for the remainder of her
15   life; and
16      WHEREAS, Common symptoms of menopause include weight gain,
17   joint and muscle pain, brain fog, increased risk of depression
 1   and anxiety, hot flashes and night sweats, sleep disturbances,
 2   changes in sexual function, bone loss, changing cholesterol
 3   levels and vaginal and bladder complications; and
 4      WHEREAS, Most women notice a reduction in their symptoms
 5   postmenopause, while others may still experience some symptoms
 6   for several years; and
 7      WHEREAS, From the point of menopause to 60 years of age, most
 8   women lose up to 25% of their bone mass due to the effects of
 9   low estrogen; and
10      WHEREAS, Due to low estrogen levels, postmenopausal women
11   have an increased risk for osteoporosis and cardiovascular
12   diseases; and
13      WHEREAS, Available treatments for the symptoms of menopause
14   include hormone replacement therapy, strength training,
15   medication and dietary and lifestyle adjustments; and
16      WHEREAS, Prevention measures to reduce a woman's risk of
17   developing osteoporosis and heart disease associated with
18   menopause include hormone replacement therapy, screenings via
19   medical practitioners for bone density and heart health and
20   dietary and lifestyle changes; and
21      WHEREAS, Studies have found that almost half of women under
22   40 years of age reported not being informed at all about
23   menopause, and many had only begun looking for information about
24   it once their symptoms had already started; and
25      WHEREAS, Many obstetric and gynecology residency programs do
26   not have a designated menopause curriculum; and
27      WHEREAS, Most women do not receive bone density screenings
28   until 65 years of age or older; and
29      WHEREAS, More education and awareness must be made available
30   to women, medical professionals and the general public about the

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1   symptoms, preventative treatments and risks of menopause and the
2   postmenopausal stage of women's lives so that women can feel
3   empowered to take control of their long-term health and well-
4   being; therefore be it
5      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
6   month of October 2025 as "Menopause Awareness Month" in
7   Pennsylvania.




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