Most women go through the menopause between 48 and 55. It may arrive earlier, especially if you smoke or have had a hysterectomy but kept your ovaries.
Some women only reach the menopause in their late fifties.
One in 100 women go through the menopause before the age of 40, some in their teens or twenties. Often the reasons are unknown. However, early menopause can be caused by cancer treatments or surgery which damage the ovaries. Men do not have a hormonal pattern like the menstrual cycle, so there is no male equivalent of the menopause when hormone cycles and fertility end. As remaining supplies run low, the hormonal pattern starts to change.