Thursday, April 28, 2011

Test To Predict Menopause

By Liana Badea


Menopause is the end of menstruation or the end of fertility for women. At menopause the eggs in the female body reach 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.

What if you knew the exact age when you will stop being fertile? What difference would this make in your life?

Researchers now say they may be able to determine when the menopause starts, by measuring ovarian volume with trans vaginal ultrasound.

As a woman ages, the ovaries get smaller, and the number of eggs reduces dramatically. Obviously, there is a proportional relation between the volume of the ovaries and the number of eggs left in it. With mathematical and computer models, the scientists produce a formula to actually predict when a woman will stop being able to bear children.

This test could be the beginning of a new stage for women who can not conceive, for women treated for different cancers, actually for all women.

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 point is that no woman should wait too long to make babies and plan families based on the trust in the advanced technology.

I am wondering if women should go for a test like this. Should a 30 year old woman believe in this test? Should she make career decisions based on it? Can menopause really be predicted?

The answer is NO. How could you possibly tell someone to go ahead and change their life because of a test result?




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