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Menopause, also called the climacteric and familiarly known as "the change," is the total cessation of the menstrual cycle and, consequently, the end of a woman's childbearing capacity. It is a natural physiological event--not an illness or an affliction. Its onset is gradual, generally occurring in american women between the ages of 48 and 55, although it can start anytime from the late 30s to the late 50s.