Menopause is when your period permanently stops.

For those who have a uterus, menopause usually happens naturally when they are in their 40s or 50s. Perimenopause begins when they begin having symptoms and ends one year after their periods stop. After a whole year with no periods, the date of the final period is the date of the start of menopause. 

For those who had their uterus removed before their periods stopped, but kept their ovaries, menopause symptoms or blood tests of hormones are used to tell when they are entering perimenopause. 

For others, menopause starts suddenly because of surgical removal of their ovaries, or when their ovaries quit making hormones because of radiation, or chemotherapy. Their date of menopause is the date when their ovaries are removed or they quit making hormones.

Learn more about perimenopause and menopause symptoms, and what you can do about them. See our guide for how to talk to your health care provider.

Use our tool to see what stage of perimenopause or menopause you are in.

We are menopause scientists and women’s health care doctors from across the United States. We have been working together for over 25 years to find out what works and what doesn’t work to help with symptoms during the menopause transition. We are committed to sharing what we have learned with women everywhere.