Early Menopause

“Symptoms of premature and early menopause are like those you would experience if you reached menopause at the expected age of 51 to 52 years, but symptoms can…”.1

Umbrella

What may the Early Menopause Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Early Menopause
  • Premature Menopause

Early Menopause and Premature Menopause

Is early menopause the same as premature menopause?Early Menopause

In Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Early and Premature Menopause the (Scottish) NHS Inform explain:

“Menopause before the age of 45 is called early menopause. Menopause before the age of 40 is called premature menopause”.2

Early Menopause

What is early menopause?

DotS the definition of early menopause may vary. In The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Definitions, published online 30 October 2023, the definition is:

  • “Early menopause is menopause before the age of 45 years (may not be appropriate in all populations)”.3

The (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH) definition is:


“Early menopause is when your final period happens between the ages of 40 and 45”.4

Symptoms

Are the symptoms of early menopause basically the same as for menopause?

Yes and no. In Premature and Early Menopause: Symptoms of Premature and Early Menopause the JH explain:

“Symptoms of premature and early menopause are like those you would experience if you reached menopause at the expected age of 51 to 52 years, but symptoms can often be more severe due to the sudden change in hormone levels”.5
Early Menopause

Cause

What causes early menopause?

In Early or Premature Menopause: What Causes Early or Premature Menopause? the Office on Women’s Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Womenshealth.gov elaborate on:

“Early or premature menopause can happen on their own for no clear reason, or they can happen because of certain surgeries, medicines, or health conditions.

Reasons for early or premature menopause can include:

  • Family history…
  • Smoking…
  • Chemotherapy or pelvic radiation treatments for cancer…
  • Surgery to remove the ovaries…
  • Surgery to remove the uterus…
  • Certain health conditions…
    • Autoimmune diseases such as thyroid disease and rheumatoid arthritis…
    • HIV and AIDS…
    • Missing chromosomes…
    • Chronic fatigue syndrome…”.6

Common or Not

How common is early menopause?

In Premature and Early Menopause: What Is Premature and Early Menopause? the JH note:

“Up to 8% of women have had their final period by the time they are 45. This percentage is likely to be higher if we include menopause caused by cancer treatment and surgery”.7

Heart Disease

Is there an association between heart disease and early menopause?

In Coronary Heart Disease: Women and Heart Disease – Why Does Coronary Heart Disease Affect Women Differently? the (United States) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute elaborate on:

  • “Hormone changes may affect a woman’s risk for coronary heart disease. Before menopause, the hormone estrogen provides women with some protection against heart disease. However, as women age, their risk for coronary heart disease increases. Taking hormones to relieve symptoms of menopause can further increase that risk. Women who experience early menopause, especially after surgical removal of the uterus, are more likely to develop heart disease than women of the same age who have not yet experienced menopause”.8

Depression

Is there an association between depression and early menopause?

In Premature and Early Menopause: What Causes Premature and Early Menopause? How To Manage Premature and Early Menopause: Emotional Wellbeing the JH elaborate on:

“It’s important to talk to someone if you feel anxious or depressed after your diagnosis. Your doctor can help with symptom relief and refer you to a psychologist if needed”.9

Hormone Therapy

Is hormone therapy recommended for crash menopause?

On page three of Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 1. Who Is MHT For? Women With Existing Medical Conditions the International Menopause Society’s (IMS) Leaflet for Women for World Menopause Day 2024, the IMS explain:

“Deciding to use MHT is a personal choice and should involve discussions about the benefits and risks with a healthcare professional who knows your health history”.10

Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer Risk

What is one of the recommendations included in the Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause?

On page two in the Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause, first published online 10 June 2022, one of the recommendations is:

  • “Women with POI and early menopause (40–45 years old) should be advised that HRT is unlikely to increase risk of breast cancer in younger menopausal women under the age of 50”.11

What is POI?

POI in this context is an abbreviation for Premature Ovarian Insufficiency.

Health Care Provider

What if I think I have early menopause?

If you think you have early menopause, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this. Together you can discuss your options and if required, agree on who may be the most appropriate health care provider to help you.

In Premature and Early Menopause the European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) note:

“Premature ovarian insufficiency or early menopause, if untreated, increases the risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, dementia and Parkinsonism, and reduces life expectancy”.12

The EMAS also note:

“Referral to specialist menopause, fertility and assisted reproduction professionals should be discussed with the patient”.13

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Early Menopause?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Early Menopause?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.

New or Updated

  1. ACOG Explains: Managing Menopause Symptoms [American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists]
  2. Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
  3. BMS TV: Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
  4. Lifestyle MedicineBMS TV: Osteoporosis
  5. Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
  6. Bone Health In Women With Premature Ovarian Insufficiency/Early Menopause: A 23-Year Longitudinal Analysis
  7. Build Better Bones.org [International Osteoporosis Foundation]
  8. Cancer Treatment – Early Menopause
  9. Care, Choice, Complexities: The Circulations of Hormone Therapy In Early Menopause
  10. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Menopausal Symptoms
  11. Complementary Medicines and Therapies for Hot Flushes
  12. Complementary Medicines and Therapies: Options for Menopausal Symptoms
  13. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2023 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – NAMS 2023 Nonhormone Therapies Position Statement for Bothersome Menopause Symptoms
  14. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2023 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Premature and Early Menopause
  15. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Preparing for Your Menopause Health Care Visit
  16. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2025 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Nutrition At Menopause and Why It Is Important
  17. Daisynetwork.org [DaisyNetwork, United Kingdom]
  18. Early Menopause
  19. Early Menopause
  20. Early Menopause Due To Chemotherapy Radiotherapy
  21. Early Menopause Linked To Increased Risk of Developing Rheumatoid Arthritis
  22. Early and Premature Menopause [Video]
  23. Early Menopause – Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy
  24. Early MenopauseEarly Menopause: Women’s Experiences – Overview
  25. Early Menopause: Women’s Experiences – Resources and Information: Quick Links – 1. Question Prompt List
  26. Early Menopause: Women’s Experiences – Women’s Profiles
  27. Early or Premature Menopause
  28. Earlymenopause.org.nz [Early Menopause Support Group, New Zealand]
  29. Exploring the Triggers of Premature and Early Menopause In India: A Comprehensive Analysis Based on National Family Health Survey, 2019-2021
  30. Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
  31. Find An AMS Member [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
  32. Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
  33. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
  34. HRT Questions Answered
  35. Handling Hot Flushes and Night Sweats| Dr Louise Newson
  36. Hot Flashes
  37. How Do You Know You’re In Menopause After A Hysterectomy?
  38. How To Talk To Your Doctor About Menopause
    Early Menopause
  39. How Menopause Impacts Your Health
  40. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause
  41. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Early and Premature Menopause [Other Languages and Formats]
  42. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Supporting Someone Through the Menopause [+ Video: Men Don’t Need To Know About Menopause] [Other Languages and Formats]
  43. Lynch Syndrome
  44. Lynch Syndrome
  45. Mayo Clinic Minute: Help With Hot Flashes Due To Menopause [+ Video]
  46. Mayo Clinic Minute: How Lifestyle Changes May Help Manage Menopause Symptoms [+ Video]
  47. Mayo Clinic Minute: Tips From A Gynecological Surgeon on Recovery From Surgery [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  48. Menopause
  49. Menopause
    Lifestyle Medicine
  50. Menopause After Cancer Treatment
  51. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
    Early Menopause
  52. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
    Early Menopause
  53. Menopause Mindfulness: Understanding the Many Paths To Menopause [Video]
  54. Menopause Q&A With Expert Cancer Support Specialists [+ Videos]
  55. Menopause Q&A With Expert Cancer Support Specialists [+ Videos]: How Can I Manage Treatment-Induced Menopause? [Video]
  56. Menopause Q&A With Expert Cancer Support Specialists [+ Videos] [What Is Cancer Induced Menopause? [Video]
  57. Menopause Treatment Options After Cancer
  58. Menopause and Cancer
  59. Menopause and Mental Health
  60. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline Published: 12 November 2015 Last Updated: 07 November 2024]
    Early Menopause
  61. Menopause: Identification and Management: NICE Guideline [NG23] [07 November 2024]
  62. Menopause: Understanding the Changes and Finding Relief | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP #256
  63. Mood and the Menopause
  64. Mymenoplan.org [My Menoplan, United States]
  65. Navigating Menopause Together: How Partners Can Help
  66. Navigating Menopause: Honest Answers To All Your Questions [+ Video: What To Expect in Menopause]
  67. Navigating Menopause Care Resource Guide
    Early Menopause
  68. New Guidelines for Early Menopause Diagnosis and Management
  69. Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
  70. Optimising Health After Early Menopause
  71. Pathtogoodbonehealth.org [Your Path To Good Bone Health]
    Premature Ovarian Failure
  72. Premature and Early Menopause
  73. Premature and Early Menopause
  74. Premature and Early Menopause
  75. Premature and Early Menopause: Symptoms of Premature and Early Menopause
  76. Premature and Early Menopause: What Causes Premature and Early Menopause
  77. Resources: Fact Sheets
    Early Menopause
  78. Resources: Infographics
    Early Menopause
  79. Resources: Posters
    Early Menopause
  80. Study Author on Early Menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy

  81. Supplements: What Works, What Doesn’t and the Truth About Menowashing
  82. Supporting A Loved One Through Menopause
  83. Surprising Menopause Symptoms | Dr Louise Newson Live
  84. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause
  85. The Menopause Society Statement on Misinformation Surrounding Hormone Therapy
  86. The Women’s Health Initiative Trials: Clinical Messages
  87. Tip Sheet: What To Know About Post-Menopause Health Risks
  88. Tips To Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
  89. Understanding the Connection Between Early Menopause and Heart Disease Risk
  90. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  91. Video Resource: Menopause and Health Living – What Is Early Menopause? [Multiple Languages]
  92. Webinar: Early Menopause
  93. Webinars: Previous – Lifestyle Medicine
  94. Webinars: Previous – Predictors of Premature and Early Natural Menopause
  95. Webinars: Previous – The Early Menopausal Patient
  96. When Menopause Comes Early: Symptoms & Treatment
  97. Why Does Menopause Happen Early In Some Women [Video]
  98. World Menopause Day 2024: Leaflet for Women [Multiply Languages]
  99. World Menopause Day 2025 [18 October]
    Early Menopause
  100. World Menopause Day 2025: The IMS White Paper: The Role of Lifestyle Medicine In Menopausal Health: A Review of Non-Pharmacologic Interventions [Multiply Languages]

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted above?

You may find the Sources at:

Sources

  1. Premature and Early Menopause: Symptoms of Premature and Early Menopause. Last Updated: 28 August 2025 | Last Reviewed: 22 August 2025. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/premature-early-menopause/ Accessed: 18 October 2025
  2. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Early and Premature Menopause. Last Updated: 18 November 2024. NHS Inform https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/womens-health/later-years-around-50-years-and-over/menopause-and-post-menopause-health/early-and-premature-menopause/ Accessed: 18 October 2025
  3. Davis, S. R., Taylor, S., Hemachandra, C., Magraith, K., Ebeling, P. R., Jane, F., and Islam, R. M. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Definitions. First Published Online: 30 October 2023 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13697137.2023.2258783 Accessed: 18 October 2025
  4. Premature and Early Menopause: What Is Premature and Early Menopause? Last Updated: 28 August 2025 | Last Reviewed: 22 August 2025. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/premature-early-menopause/ Accessed: 18 October 2025
  5. Premature and Early Menopause: Symptoms of Premature and Early Menopause. Last Updated: 28 August 2025 | Last Reviewed: 22 August 2025. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/premature-early-menopause/ Accessed: 18 October 2025
  6. Early or Premature Menopause: What Causes Early or Premature Menopause? Page Last Updated: 11 March 2025.  Office on Women’s Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Womenshealth.gov https://www.womenshealth.gov/menopause/early-or-premature-menopause Accessed: 18 October 2025
  7. Premature and Early Menopause: What Is Premature and Early Menopause. Last Updated: 28 August 2025 | Last Reviewed: 22 August 2025. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/premature-early-menopause/ Accessed: 18 October 2025
  8. Coronary Heart Disease: Women and Heart Disease – Why Does Coronary Heart Disease Affect Women Differently? Last Updated: 27 December 2024. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/coronary-heart-disease/women#Why-does-coronary-heart-disease-affect-women-differently? Accessed: 18 October 2025
  9. Premature and Early Menopause: What Causes Premature and Early Menopause? How To Manage Premature and Early Menopause: Emotional Wellbeing. Last Updated: 28 August 2025 | Last Reviewed: 22 August 2025. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/premature-early-menopause/ Accessed: 18 October 2025
  10. Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 1. Who Is MHT For? Women With Existing Medical Conditions. 2024:4. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024-WMD-Leaflet_English.pdf Accessed: 18 October 2025
  11. Hamoda, H., Mukherjee, A., Morris, E., Baldeweg, S. E., Jayasena, C. N., Briggs, P., Moger, S. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause. First Published Online 10 June 2022:2. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20533691221104879 Accessed: 18 October 2025
  12. Premature and Early Menopause. 2022. European Menopause and Andropause Society https://emas-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Premature-and-early-menopause.pdf Accessed: 18 October 2025
  13. Premature and Early Menopause. 2022. European Menopause and Andropause Society https://emas-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Premature-and-early-menopause.pdf Accessed: 18 October 2025
Topic Last Updated: 18 October 2025 – Topic Last Reviewed: 18 October 2025

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