Menopause
when menstrual periods stop permanently
Menopause is the time when menstrual periods permanently stop, marking the end of the reproductive phase for female humans. The menopausal transition can be divided into three stages: perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. Menopause is a natural part of aging, it can also be a result of surgery, or have another medical or non-medical source. Natural menopause is the result of a decrease in the production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Natural menopause typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, although the exact timing can vary occurring earlier or later for a variety of reasons, for example tobacco use may result in an earlier menopause while having been pregnant may result in a later menopause. Surgical menopause occurs as the result of a surgery that removes both ovaries. Surgical removal of the ovaries or ovarian failure before the age of 40 years is termed "premature ovarian insufficiency". A marked decrease in hormone levels can have other sources, including some types of chemotherapy. Women often notice symptoms of hormonal changes prior to any formal diagnosis, tests which measure hormone levels in blood or urine can confirm menopause.
In the years before menopause, a woman's periods typically become irregular, which means that periods may be longer or shorter in duration, or be lighter or heavier in the amount of flow.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Menopause” is when menstrual periods stop permanently. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Menopause, when and menstrual, not as a finished interpretation.
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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q177708. The Library of Congress control number is sh85083590. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
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This entry incorporates text from “Menopause” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.