Menopause is defined as when a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without menstruating. This occurs naturally when the ovaries reduce their production of estrogen and progesterone. Menopause is most often accompanied by symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, and this life phase generally can be divided into three stages: perimenopause—the yearslong menopausal transition with irregular periods when a person can still get pregnant—menopause, and postmenopause, which lasts the rest of a woman’s life.
Menopause is a natural development in a woman’s life as she ages, but sometimes it can be triggered by chemotherapy or surgery (such as removal of the ovaries or radical hysterectomies). On average, women reach menopause just after age 50 in the United States.
Early menopause, happening between the ages of 40 and 45, affects about 5% of women. Premature menopause, which occurs before age 40, affects around 1% of women. Genetics likely play a big role in whether a woman experiences earlier menopause, and certain autoimmune diseases (like thyroid disease and rheumatoid arthritis) can increase that likelihood. On the other end of the spectrum, late-onset menopause is when a woman 55 or older hasn’t started menopause. While women who go through late-onset menopause lower their risk of osteoporosis, they’re at an increased risk of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer.
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