Menopause is the time when a womans menstrual cycles stop permanently. It is diagnosed after a woman has gone 12 months without a menstrual period. The average age for menopause in the United States is 51. However, menopause can happen in a woman's 40s or 50s. Menstrual periods may become longer or shorter, heavier or lighter, and more or less frequent in a woman's 40s, until eventually, on average, by age 51, the ovaries stop releasing eggs, and periods stop altogether.
In summary, the age at which a woman's period stops varies, but the average age is 51 in the United States.
