“Menopause May Be an Unintended Outcome of Men's Preference for Younger Mates”

I have heard quite a few theories for menopause, but I have never heard of the above, until recently. When I think about it though, there could be some truth to this because it is largely true that older men do in fact gravitate towards younger mates.

In a recent article by Science Daily, researchers have concluded that what causes menopause in women is actually men, relating specifically to reproduction.

Read the full story, by following the link below:-

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130614082653.htm

From the article

“Over time, human males have shown a preference for younger women in selecting mates, stacking the Darwinian deck against continued fertility in older women, the researchers have found.

"In a sense it is like aging, but it is different because it is an all-or-nothing process that has been accelerated because of preferential mating," says Singh, a professor in McMaster's Department of Biology whose research specialties include the evolution of human diversity.

While conventional thinking has held that menopause prevents older women from continuing to reproduce, in fact, the researchers' new theory says it is the lack of reproduction that has given rise to menopause.”

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THE EFFECT OF CHEMOTHERAPY ON A WOMAN'S FERTILITY

“Current estimates of the impact of chemotherapy on women’s reproductive health are too low   according to a recent study conducted by the University of California, San Francisco. The Researchers  say that their analysis of the age-specific, long term effects of chemotherapy, provides new insights which will help patients and clinicians make more informed decisions about future reproductive options, such as egg harvesting."

According to this study, previous studies seem to have only focussed on the lack of menstruation after chemotherapy(amenorrhea), as the primary reproductive side effect of chemotherapy, when other issues such as early menopause (menopause before age 45) and a host of damage to a woman’s ovaries, leading to infertility can also result.

Many women have been told that as long as their periods return after chemotherapy they would have no negative impact.

For more from this study, please visit the link below:-

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/233389.php

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PREMATURE OVARIAN FAILURE (EARLY MENOPAUSE) AND FERTILITY

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I have watched helplessly as my body changedover the last year or so to the point where I became very concerned that I could be entering into early menopause.   I Remember telling a friend of mine that I feel like I am living in someone else’s body as I cannot predict what will happen around ovulation and menstruation for any given month. I also felt at times like my body was literally turning on me. As a result of this, I consulted Dr. Google, but luckily the symptoms associated with early menopause is not really what I have been experiencing.  I have since summed it up to just age taking its natural course, because it is said that a woman’s body changes in function as she ages.

According to an article in Medical News today, my concern was certainly not too far off, because Premature Ovarian Failure (POF) or Early Menopause seem to be on the rise, affecting 1 in 100 women. The good news though is, there is still hope for women who wish to have a baby.

From the article

"For women who wish to have a baby, the options include either adoption or achieving a pregnancy by oocyte or embryo donation. In oocyte donation it is necessary to prepare the endometrium for implantation. This can be successfully achieved by incremental doses of estradiol valerate and then progesterone therapy. This creates an endometrium receptive to embryo implantation.

The cause of POF is still largely unknown. The condition is usually permanent but ovarian activity can resume and fertility has been noted among 5-10% of women with the diagnosis. 

The main symptoms of POF include irregularity of the menstrual cycle, oestrogen deficiency in the form of hot flushes, night sweats and loss of libido.

A physical examination, including height, weight and body mass index, is essential. Once POF is confirmed the main areas of treatment include education, counselling and psychological support, treatment of oestrogen deficiency symptoms and fertility management.” 

Read more about Premature Ovulation Failure (Early Menopause) by following the link below.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/222689.php