通常在45-50歲之間，女性將會注意到她的月經週期變得越來越沒有規律，最終，她完全停止了月經。這種永久的月經停止稱為絕經。有一個寬泛的術語，既更年期（climacteric 自希臘語： critical period，危機時期) ，它用來定義婦女一生在這個時期所發生的綜合生理和心理變化。

Usually between the ages of 45 and 50 a woman will notice that her menstrual cycles become more and more irregular until, eventually, she ceases to menstruate altogether. This permanent cessation of menstruation is called menopause. A broader term, climacteric (gr.: critical period), refers to the general physiological and psychological changes that occur during this time in a woman's life.