Aging changes in the female reproductive system

Information

For women, menopause, or the cessation of menses, is an obvious sign of aging. It is by no means the only change in the female reproductive system. There is a transition period called the climacteric that extends for many years before and after the last Menstrual Period.

For a woman, aging changes involve hormone levels, physical changes in the woman's entire reproductive tract and psychological changes. Changes occur in the intricate relationship between the ovarian hormones and those produced by the pituitary gland (in the brain).

AGING CHANGES

Menopause is a normal part of a woman's aging process. The ovaries stop releasing eggs (ova), and Menstrual Periods stop. Most women experience menopause around age 50, although it occurs before age 40 in about 8% of women. Prior to menopause, menstrual cycles often become irregular.

The ovaries become less responsive to stimulation by follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). To try to compensate for the decreased response, the body produces MORE of these ovary-stimulating hormones for a time. The level of these hormones will eventually decrease.

The hormones produced by the ovaries include the different forms of estrogen (including estradiol), progesterone, and prolactin. These hormones also decrease around menopause. The ovaries continue to produce small amounts of testosterone and some estrogen. The hormones produced by the pituitary gland are also decreased.

Because hormone levels fall, changes occur in the entire reproductive system. The vaginal walls become less elastic, thinner, and less rigid. The vagina becomes shorter. Secretions become scant and watery. The external genital tissue decreases (atrophy of the labia).

In both men and women, reproductive system changes are closely related to changes in the urinary system.

EFFECT OF CHANGES

Prior to menopause, fertility varies depending on hormone levels. Menopause is said to have occurred when there has been one year without a menstrual period. With menopause, reproductive capacity is lost.

Symptoms that accompany menopause vary in severity. Many of the symptoms are triggered by the hormone changes. Only about 20% to 30% of all women have symptoms that are severe enough that they seek medical attention.

Changes occur in the woman's breast tissue at the same time as other reproductive changes. A woman may experience changes in her sex drive (libido) and her sexual response may change, but aging does not prevent a woman from being able to have or enjoy sexual relationships. Most often, things such as availability of a partner, symptoms from vaginal dryness, and psychological and social factors affect a woman's sexual response more than direct aging changes.