Who is affected by menopause

Menopause is the milestone in every woman's life that marks the end of her reproductive years. Most (95%) of all women begin the transition to menopause (perimenopause) between ages 39 and 51. On average, women start perimenopause around age 46, with an average of 5 years until menstruation ends. After 1 year of no menstrual periods, a woman is said to have reached menopause.¹

• The average age of menopause is between 50 and 51. In 95% of all women, it occurs between the ages of 44 and 56.¹
• Menopause before the age of 40 (spontaneous premature menopause) is rare, affecting about 1% of women in the United States.¹
• Genetic factors can be a strong predictor of when menopause will occur. If your mother had an early or late menopause, you probably will also.¹
• Cigarette smokers experience menopause an average of 1.5 years earlier than nonsmokers.¹
• Women living at high altitudes experience an earlier menopause.¹

Menopause can also be caused by surgical removal of the ovaries, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy to the abdomen or pelvis.

Citations

1. Speroff L, Fritz MA (2005). Menopause and the perimenopausal transition. In Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility, 7th ed., pp. 621–688. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.