Menopause represents the end of menstruation. Between 1995 and 2010, the number of women over age 50 entering menopause in the United States will grow from 37 million to 52 million.Although it refers to the final period, it is not an abrupt event, but a gradual process. Menopause is not a disease that needs to be cured, but a natural life-stage transition. However, many women are faced with important decisions about treatment of menopause symptoms, including the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Many women have irregular periods and other problems of "perimenopause" for years, and it's not easy to predict the onset of menopause, although doctors agree it is complete when a woman has not had a period for a year. Eight out of every 100 women stop menstruating before age 40, and five out of every 100 continue to have periods until they are almost 60. The average age of menopause is 51.

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