By Womaness Editors 1-Minute Read
Welcome to ASK AN EXPERT, a series where we pose your real questions to our menopause experts for the intel you need. Need an answer? Post your question on The After Party, our private Facebook Group.
Your Question:
“If I haven't had children, does that play a role in when I start perimenopause or go into menopause?”
The Answer:
From Dr. Ekta Kapoor, Mayo Clinic: "That's a great question. And it actually depends upon the cause of your infertility.
If the cause is an ovarian cause—meaning that you weren't making as many eggs or weren't making healthy eggs—then obviously, your chances of going into menopause are higher and you may go into menopause earlier.
Because if you think about it, menopause occurs because of lack of those viable eggs in the ovary that are capable of ovulation and thereby reduce the hormone estrogen. So a woman who has a decreased or diminished ovarian reserve to begin with will likely go into menopause sooner.
But if the cause of infertility is a non-ovarian cause, then we would not expect earlier menopause."
Get More Answers
Ask a Doctor: "How is menopause different for women of color?"
Ask a Sleep Expert: "How can I calm a racing mind at night?"
Ask a Doctor: "Why does sex hurt in menopause?"
