All women will experience the menopause. Natural menopause takes place when the ovaries become unable to produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Menopause can also occur when the ovaries are damaged by specific treatment such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or when the ovaries are removed, often at the time of a hysterectomy.

The diagnosis of menopause and the menopausal transition should be made from a combination of factors with most emphasis being placed on the pattern of periods and presence of menopausal symptoms. Over the age of 45, the absence of periods or infrequent periods along with symptoms such as flushes and sweats can alone be used to diagnose the perimenopause or menopause.