What Is Menopause: Menopause Managing The Change Of Life
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
What is menopause?
Medical experts agree that a woman has reached menopause if she hasn't had a period for 12 consecutive months and there's no underlying medical condition causing her to stop menstruating. On average, women in Western nations can expect to have their last menstrual period at about age 51. In women who smoke, menstruation may stop a year or two earlier. But it varies widely. Some women have their last period when they're still in their 40s; others not until they are 60. Premature menopause, which takes place before age 40, may result from chemotherapy, radiation treatment, or premature ovarian failure, which sometimes runs in families. Surgical menopause — from removal of the ovaries, often done at the time of hysterectomy — can happen at any age.
| Last updated: | August 13, 2007 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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