The 8th European Congress on Menopause (EMAS), held 16-19 May 2009 in London, UK, was organized by the European Menopause and Andropause Society and hosted by the British Menopause Society (BMS). The Congress invited speakers from a range of European countries as well as some from the USA, Ecuador, Chile, Australia and South Africa, and attracted 1470 participants from over 70 countries as far a field as the Americas and East Asia.