What is menopause?

Menopause is defined as 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. The average age at which women experience menopause in the United States is 52 years, with most experiencing it between ages 45 and 55.

Postmenopause is the stage after a person has not had a menstrual cycle for 12 months. They will remain in postmenopause for the remainder of their lives.

As women live longer, they spend roughly 40% of their lives in the postmenopausal years, which equates to more than 30 years for most women.