The menopause, from the Greek meno (menstruation) and pause (stop), also called the climacteric, is the cessation of menstruation. During the menopause, women no longer have enough follicles because those have been used for ovarian cycles or have degenerated due to the phenomenon of follicular atresia. It is divided into several stages:
perimenopause: period of irregular menstrual cycles prior to the menopause, and the year which follows the apparent cessation of menstruation; post-menopause: confirmed menopause.