The average age American women go through menopause is age 51. If menopause (hormonal changes at the end of the female reproductive years) occurs before age 40, it is considered premature menopause. Possible causes include autoimmune problems and common cancer treatments.

About half of all women will go through menopause before age 51 and the rest will go through it after. Most women will finish menopause between the ages of 42 and 58. A small number of women will find that their periods stop prematurely, before age 40.

There are many possible causes of premature menopause. Women who have premature menopause often have autoimmune disorders like thyroid disease or diabetes mellitus. In these diseases, the body produces antibodies to one or more of its own organs. These antibodies interfere with the normal function of the organ. Just as antibodies might attack the thyroid or the pancreas (causing thyroid disease or diabetes), antibodies...