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Premature menopause is menopause that happens before the age of 40 â whether it is natural or induced. Women who enter menopause early get symptoms similar to those of natural menopause, like hot flashes, emotional problems, vaginal dryness, and decreased sex drive.
Some people call the years leading up to a woman's last period menopause, but that time actually is the menopausal transition, or perimenopause (PER-ee-MEN-oh-pawz). During the time of the menopausal transition (perimenopause), your periods can stop for a while and then start again. Therefore, the only way to know if you have gone through menopause is if you have not had your period for one year. (And it's not menopause if your periods stop for some other reason, like being sick.) The average age of menopause is 51, but for some women it happens as early as 40 or as late as 55.