Final answer:
Endometriosis typically decreases after menopause due to a decline in estrogen production, as ovarian follicles are depleted and can no longer produce this hormone.
Step-by-step explanation:
After menopause, endometriosis generally decreases. This is because menopause leads to a decline in the production of estrogen by the ovaries, as the follicles are depleted and no longer produce this hormone. Without estrogen, the endometrial-like tissue that characterizes endometriosis cannot grow as it did previously. Additionally, estrogen levels drop because the cells of the endometrium degenerate, and there is no menopause-specific hormone secreted by the pituitary that would support the condition.