Changing populations and vital statistics

Abstract

For several years it appeared as if the onset of menopause was coming on at an older and older age. Indeed with the possibility of a decreasing age of menarche and an increasing age of menopause, it looked as if modern woman was becoming more fertile by expanding her reproductive years. But this is not so. The median age at natural menopause is 50.8 years. There is no conclusive evidence of an increase in age at menopause over the last century.