Menopause is the cessation of menstruation. In other words, it is the end of fertility for women. It sets in when the number of eggs reaches the lowest count.
Eggs form in a female's ovary while she is still in the womb. At birth there are several hundred thousand eggs; when menstruation begins, about 300,000; at about age 37, a woman has about 25,000 eggs left, and at menopause only about 1,000.
Every woman is different, so every woman will experience menopause differently. Even the age when menopause starts varies. It could be anywhere between 45 to 55. Menopause occurs naturally, as a normal stage in life, or surgically, when ovaries are removed due to illness or other factors, through a procedure called hysterectomy.
My question to all women is: If you knew the exact age when menopause will happen to you, would you make a life decision based on this fact?
Researchers now say they may be able to determine when the menopause starts, by measuring ovarian volume with trans vaginal ultrasound.
The theory behind this research is that as a woman ages, ovaries shrink. Therefore, there is a direct correlation between ovarian volume and number of eggs. Researchers applied mathematical and computer models to predict menopause and potentially help women to plan their lives.
This test is revolutionary for women attending fertility clinics, or women treated for cancer.
From a different point of view, if you look at the assisted reproductive technology, the overall success of a woman over 40 to get pregnant is very low.
My conclusion is obvious. No woman should wait too long to plan babies, no matter how advanced the assisted reproductive technology is.
So, is this test good enough to predict menopause? Should a woman depend on a test like this and make life decision based on it? Can a test really tell how many years of fertility a woman have left?
The answer is NO. How could you possibly tell someone to go ahead and change their life because of a test result?
Eggs form in a female's ovary while she is still in the womb. At birth there are several hundred thousand eggs; when menstruation begins, about 300,000; at about age 37, a woman has about 25,000 eggs left, and at menopause only about 1,000.
Every woman is different, so every woman will experience menopause differently. Even the age when menopause starts varies. It could be anywhere between 45 to 55. Menopause occurs naturally, as a normal stage in life, or surgically, when ovaries are removed due to illness or other factors, through a procedure called hysterectomy.
My question to all women is: If you knew the exact age when menopause will happen to you, would you make a life decision based on this fact?
Researchers now say they may be able to determine when the menopause starts, by measuring ovarian volume with trans vaginal ultrasound.
The theory behind this research is that as a woman ages, ovaries shrink. Therefore, there is a direct correlation between ovarian volume and number of eggs. Researchers applied mathematical and computer models to predict menopause and potentially help women to plan their lives.
This test is revolutionary for women attending fertility clinics, or women treated for cancer.
From a different point of view, if you look at the assisted reproductive technology, the overall success of a woman over 40 to get pregnant is very low.
My conclusion is obvious. No woman should wait too long to plan babies, no matter how advanced the assisted reproductive technology is.
So, is this test good enough to predict menopause? Should a woman depend on a test like this and make life decision based on it? Can a test really tell how many years of fertility a woman have left?
The answer is NO. How could you possibly tell someone to go ahead and change their life because of a test result?
About the Author:
Besides menopause, the author is involved in several health topics, including unplanned pregnancy.
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