Nowadays, many couples around the world are faced with the problem of infertility, when conceiving a child does not occur after prolonged attempts for six months or a year. Infertility treatment is dealt with by specialists in the field of reproductive health.

Reproduction specialists use various modern techniques and technologies to help patients, including IVF procedures. These methods allow women to become pregnant even in the presence of serious pathologies and diseases.

Myth: IVF is only used in mature patients

Actually this is not true! Although age-related factors can affect reproductive health, the natural decline in the number of healthy eggs with age is not the only cause of infertility. In patients under 35 years of age, it is recommended to undergo an examination for infertility if pregnancy does not occur after a year of sexual activity without the use of contraception.

Hormonal disorders, varicocele, chronic diseases, inflammatory processes, genetic factors and past operations can also affect the possibility of conception.

Myth: Menopause occurs only in women

With age, the level of sex hormones decreases in both women and men, so the term “male menopause” has a basis. However, hormonal changes in women occur differently than in men.

In women during perimenopause, estrogen levels can decrease sharply in just 1-2 years, which leads to a complete cessation of menstruation, that is, menopause. This natural process is often accompanied by unpleasant symptoms due to changes in the usual hormonal balance.

In men, testosterone levels begin to gradually decline from the age of 30 by about 1-2% annually. This process is usually not accompanied by pronounced physical symptoms, so the “male menopause” often goes unnoticed.

Myth: Menopause occurs overnight

Menopause is a gradual physiological adaptation to decreased levels of sex hormones. This process begins around the age of 40-50 and can last up to 8-10 years.

Perimenopause is characterized by a gradual decrease in the level of female sex hormones and a change in the regularity and nature of menstruation.
Around 40% of women experience the first symptoms of menopause during this period, such as irritability, hot flashes, sleep disturbances or depression.

Menopause begins with the cessation of menstruation, usually confirmed after a year without menstruation, symptoms of menopause develop in most women during this period, from 60% to 80%.

Postmenopause occurs after a year without menstruation. For many women, the symptoms of menopause subside, but health problems may arise due to a lack of estrogen, such as osteoporosis.

Myth: After menopause, pregnancy is excluded

This is not entirely true. During perimenopause, the likelihood of conception decreases, but the chance still exists. To fully protect against pregnancy, contraception should be used until you reach “guaranteed” menopause, that is, after a year without a period.

However, even after menopause, it is important to continue using contraception, especially when having sex with a new or non-regular partner, to prevent the risk of transmitting sexually transmitted infections.

Myth: Early onset of sexual activity speeds up the onset of menopause

The age at which sexual activity begins does not affect the timing of menopause. Genetics plays a key role in determining this point: menopause usually occurs around the same age as the mother.

The only external factor that influences the approach of menopause is smoking. On average, women who smoke experience menopause 2 years earlier than non-smokers of the same age.

Myth: Menopause can only begin after age 40

Although the average age of onset of menopause is after 45 years, there are cases of premature menopause. Stopping menstruation between the ages of 30 and 40 is called premature ovarian failure, a condition that requires treatment.

Causes can vary, including genetic factors, past medical conditions, surgery, or certain types of drug therapy.
Follicles containing potential eggs are formed in the body even before the birth of a girl, during her intrauterine development.

The number of these follicles is genetically determined and limited. They are a source of the main female sex hormones: estrogens and progesterone. From the moment a girl’s first menstruation, follicle reserves are used up monthly until their number in the ovaries is almost completely depleted.