WHAT IS THE MENOPAUSE?

The natural menopause is when a person stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally. It usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age.

In the UK, the average age for the menopause is 51 but for 1 in 100 women this can happen before the age of 40. This is known as premature or early menopause and can be particularly distressing for younger women, as this transition is often unplanned and unexpected with implications for fertility and other aspects of health.

However, some people go through medically induced menopause as part of medical treatment and this may be a temporary menopause, which is reversed once the treatment stops. Some go through surgical menopause, for instance as a result of a hysterectomy or chemotherapy. Medically induced and surgical menopause can happen at a much earlier age.