Is the average age for menopause really 51?

[Gwenhwyfar]

I'm just wondering because, while I keep being told the average age for menopause is 50 or 51, so many of the women I know still have some periods around 54 or 55. I only know one person who had an early menopause (around 40). I realise the average could still be closer to 50, but I also wonder how the average is calculated, and could it have changed over time?
What age were you when your periods had stopped for a full year?

My mum and sister were both 58. I’m 51 and still going strong. Had a time a few months ago where I had no period for ten weeks but now back regular.

Forgot to say I’m 54

I started HRT at 54 but was still having periods every 60 days or so at the time.

I was 51.
I've known family and friends vary in age tremendously. It wasn't talked about much in the past though.
The term perimenopause was not in common use until about 15 years ago from what i remember.
I think it used to be said that the earlier you started periods then the later menopause would be?

I've never heard that @Madmay but perhaps it works the other way too. My periods started at 14 and I was done at 49.

I like to post this link on threads like these. I know I’m not the only one to have had periods going on well into my sixties (Mirena coil fitted at 64 to control the bleeding and provide the progesterone component of HRT. I still use HRT in my seventies to combat PMT-type mood swings and hot flushes.)
AFAIK the average age 51 was based on a study that limited the age of participants to those between 45 and 55 (I might be mistaken, though), so eliminating outliers.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10557373/

Sorry to hear yours is still hanging on there, @borntobequiet!

My bloody (literally) menopause lasted from first hot flush at 50 to last period at 61, so I was 62 when finally done. I still have symptoms, though, like hot flushes and mood swings. HRT patches fixed that but I have to buy them online.

I think the ' earlier you start the later you stop' was like a local saying when I was young. The converse as well is likely. Not sure of medical evidence to back it up!
After over 40 years of periods, menopause was almost a relief.

I didn't start my periods until I was 14 and I'm still having them at 54.

Had a quick look at the literature and there was a study of over 300000 women in Norway that showed a weak and non-linear relationship between ages of starting and stopping periods. They did point out the data was based on self reporting so there may have been some error in the data but I reckon every woman can tell you the story of their first period so I bet the inaccuracy is more likely around reporting menopause.

My friends are all talking about being peri in their late forties... My Mum was late fifties but had regular periods into her fifties...and I think when it happens for me, it might take the same path.

They used to think age of menarche was important, but I don't think they do any more.