Natural menopause occurs when a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual cycle, and it is triggered by declining levels of hormones produced by the ovaries.

The surgical removal of the uterus, commonly referred to as a hysterectomy, does not determine when a woman will experience menopause, as the uterus does not produce any hormones. Hysterectomies can be performed for a variety of reasons, including endometriosis, fibroids, uterine prolapse, or cancer.

Oophorectomy, on the other hand, or the surgical removal of one or both of the ovaries, is called surgical menopause.

Menopause symptoms associated with surgical menopause tend to be more severe and longer-lasting compared with natural menopause because of the sudden and rapid decline in hormone levels caused by losing one or both ovaries.