In human adult females who still have uterus and are not lactating or pregnant, postmenopause is also identified by permanent the permanent absence of menstruation or monthly periods.

A human female usually menopause happens less or more in midlife, signaling end of fertile phase of the woman's life. Perhaps, menopause is easily understood as opposite process to the menarche, start of monthly periods. Menopause, however, in women can't satisfactorily be defined as permanent "stopping of monthly period", it is due to in reality that happening to uterus is secondary to process, and it is what happening to ovaries which is crucial factor.

As illustration of that point: uterus must be removed surgically in younger woman, periods will cease the permanently, the woman will be infertile technically.

Menopause is based on natural or the surgical cessation of the hormone production ovaries that are part of body's endocrine system of the hormone's production.

Menopause transition and the post-menopause itself, and is natural life change, not disease state of disorder, transition itself can also be challenging for number of women, for others it isn't difficult. In Western world, most typical age can rage for occurrence of menopause between ages of 45 and 55 and average age for eh last period is 51 years. In western world, woman's last period occurring between ages of 54 to 60 is known as "late menopause".