The period of psychosexual and social maturation that accompanies and follows puberty.
andropause
In men, the gradual decline of fertility with age; a hypothetical male equivalent of menopause.
bar mitzvah
Jewish coming-of-age ceremony for boys.
bat mitzvah
Jewish coming-of-age ceremony for girls.
bigamy
In law, the crime of marrying someone while already married to another spouse.
climacteric
The transition to infertility at the end of a woman’s reproductive life, lasting for several years and culminating in menopause.
cohabitation
A live-in sexual relationship between two persons who are not married to each other.
companionate marriage
A form of marriage in which the husband and wife are expected to be emotionally intimate and to engage in social activities together.
concubine
A woman who cohabits with a man but is not his wife, usually in polygamous cultures.
covenant marriage
A form of marriage that requires a stronger vow of commitment than a regular marriage and that makes divorce harder to obtain.
dissociation
The distancing of oneself from the emotions evoked by some traumatic experience or memory.
eunuch
A man who has been castrated.
group marriage
Three or more people living together in a marriage-like relationship.
habituation
The psychological process that reduces a person’s response to a stimulus or drug after repeated exposure.
harem
1. The quarters for wives and children in a polygamous Muslim household. 2. In some species, the group of females who live and mate with a single male.
hot flashes (hot flushes)
Episodes of reddening and warmth of the skin associated with menopause.
isoflavones
Estrogen-like compounds of plant origin.
menopausal hormone therapy (MHT)
Use of hormones to treat symptoms occurring during or soon after menopause.
menopause
The final cessation of menstruation at the end of a woman’s reproductive years.
mut’a
A contract to marry for a fixed period of time.
osteoporosis
Reduction in the mineral content of bone, predisposing to fractures.
perimenopause
The phase prior to menopause that is marked by irregular menstrual cycles.
polyamory
The formation of nontransient sexual relationships in groups of three or more.
polyandry
Marriage of one woman to more than one man.
polygamy
Marriage to more than one spouse at a time.
polygyny
Marriage of one man to more than one woman.
postmenopausal hormone therapy
Hormone treatment extending for a long time after menopause.
postnuptial agreement
A financial agreement between spouses.
post-traumatic stress disorder
A cluster of physical and psychological symptoms that can affect persons who have experienced severe trauma.
preadolescence
The age range including the beginning of puberty, from approximately 8 to 12 or 8 to 13.
prenuptial agreement
A contract signed before marriage, spelling out the disposition of wealth in the event of divorce.
quinceañera
Hispanic coming-of-age ceremony for girls.
serial monogamy
Involvement in a series of monogamous relationships.
swingers
Couples who agree to engage in casual sexual contacts with others.
vasomotor control
The physiological regulation of peripheral blood flow.
