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Menopause
when menstrual periods stop permanently / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Menopause is the time in a woman's reproductive life beginning one year after her last menstrual period.[1][2] Once a woman has reached menopause she can no longer get pregnant.[3] In the time leading up to menopause, she can have hot flashes and other physical symptoms. The time in the woman's life leading up to menopause is called perimenopause.[4] Menopause happens between the ages of 45 and 55.[5] Menopause can happen earlier if a women has had treatment for cancer or an operation to remove both ovaries.[1] Menopause can happen after surgery to remove the uterus.[4]
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Menopause is the expected and natural and permanent stopping of menstruation. Female hormone levels change, since they were produced by the ovaries which have stopped ovulating. The female can no longer have children after this happens. The duration can depend on lifestyle factors such as smoking, age it begins, and race and ethnicity. During perimenopause, the body's production of estrogen and progesterone, two hormones made by the ovaries, varies greatly.[4]