Global Interest in Menopause Knowledge Drives Sold-Out World Congress in Rio

Fifty years after 165 delegates gathered in France for the first International Congress on Menopause, the 20th World Congress on Menopause in Rio de Janeiro has sold out, reflecting the interest in and importance of menopause and midlife women’s health.

Taking place from 30 September to 3 October 2026, the Congress will bring together experts from around the world, with more than 900 abstracts submitted across a range of rapidly evolving areas of menopause medicine and healthy ageing.

Headline sessions will examine whether ovarian ageing can be influenced, cognitive health and brain fog during the menopause transition, sexual health, contraception for women approaching menopause, frailty and healthy ageing, and how midlife women’s healthcare can be better integrated into national health systems.

The Congress will also address some of the more challenging questions emerging alongside the surge in public interest in menopause, including misinformation, commercialization and the rapidly growing menopause marketplace.

Professor Rossella Nappi, President of the International Menopause Society, who will deliver the Pieter Van Keep Plenary Lecture, "Sexual health in the menopause", said: "The conversation around menopause has changed enormously over the past five decades, and the level of interest in this year’s Congress reflects that. It is incredibly encouraging to see professionals on a global scale looking for credible, evidence-based information and for continuing to improve the care women receive around the world."

Key Plenary Sessions and Global Research

The Congress’s major plenary sessions are an opportunity for attendees to hear from international experts who are exploring some of the key questions shaping the future of women’s midlife healthcare.

Professor Nick Panay of Imperial College London will present the latest global recommendations on premature ovarian insufficiency, including emerging thinking around POI and early menopause as chronic endocrine conditions with potential long-term implications for health.

Professor Richard Anderson of the University of Edinburgh will explore whether aspects of ovarian ageing could potentially be influenced, including emerging research into DNA damage, inflammation and fibrosis.

Professor Aimee Spector of University College London will examine women’s cognitive health during the menopause transition, including what is known about brain fog, how it differs from dementia and the evidence around Menopause Hormone Therapy and cognitive health.

Professor Luis Bahamondes of the University of Campinas in Brazil will address the global challenges of providing safe, effective and accessible contraception for women approaching menopause.

Professor Antonio Cano of the University of Valencia will consider frailty, menopause and the path to healthy ageing, while Professor Unnop Jaisamrarn of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand will examine why midlife women’s healthcare needs to become a routine part of national health systems.

Navigating Misinformation and Commercialisation

Dr Jen Gunter will close the plenary programme with "Menopause for Sale: Misinformation, commercialization, and monetization", exploring the increasingly blurred boundaries between health information, medical care and commercial opportunity within the rapidly expanding menopause market.

Professor Nappi concluded: "Women today are not the same as those of previous generations, and the women of the future will be different again. Their lives, health, expectations and experiences continue to change, and our understanding of midlife health must evolve with them. It is vital to make it easier for women and healthcare professionals to distinguish evidence and facts from opinion, misinformation and commercial claims. Menopause may be discussed more openly than ever, but there is still much more work to do, and we hope this Congress will contribute to that work."

For those unable to attend in Rio, the IMS 2026 Digital on Demand Congress will be available worldwide from 10 November 2026, providing access to scientific sessions from the Congress for a further 12 months. Further details are available at imsrio2026.com.

About the International Menopause Society

The International Menopause Society (IMS) is a membership organization that brings together the world’s leading experts to collaborate and share knowledge about all aspects of aging in women.

The IMS mission is to work globally to promote and support access to best practice health care for women through their menopause transition and post reproductive years, enabling them to achieve optimal health and well-being.

The vision is that all women across the world will have easy and equitable access to evidence based knowledge and health care, empowering them to make fully informed midlife health choices.

Details at https://www.imsociety.org/