Women’s Health Equity Initiative:

Menopause

Menopause is defined as the point in time when a woman’s menstrual period has stopped for 12 consecutive months.

• At an average age of 51, 1.3 million women transition into menopause each year in the U.S.
• 45% of women do not know the difference between perimenopause and menopause before experiencing their own transition.
• 20% of women go 12+ months after menopause symptoms begin before being formally assessed by their health care provider.

During the time leading up to menopause, women will experience changes in their menstrual cycles and other symptoms due to the body’s decline in estrogen hormone production. This menopause transition (or perimenopause) typically occurs in the 40s and 50s, and usually lasts 4-8 years on average, but can be longer. The age of onset and duration of the menopause transition is affected by biological, medical, sociocultural, and lifestyle factors. For example, menopause may occur due to natural ovarian aging or a medical procedure that damages the ovaries, such as chemotherapy or a hysterectomy.

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Background on Menopause

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Menopause Toolkit

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Menopause Paper

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