Menopause & Contraception

The first signs of menopause often make a woman believe that she is not longer fertile and will not become pregnant. While this seems logical, it is not true. According to epigee.com, two-thirds of women going through perimenopause during the ages of 40 to 44 will ovulate. Many women going through the initial stages of menopause are at an age where they no longer want to become pregnant and should follow a contraception program.

Identification

• Menopause is a natural process that a woman's body goes through when the body stops producing eggs and hormones needed to become pregnant. Menopause has several stages, including perimenopause and true menopause. A woman remains fertile until she has reached the stage of true menopause.

Fertility with Menopause

• Perimenopause is the first stage of menopause and the time frame where a woman is still fertile. Monthly periods start becoming irregular during this time period, but they still occur. Symptoms associated with perimenopause will also cause monthly periods to be irregular. These include anxiety, sexual intercourse changes and sleep disturbance. According to epigee.com, the risk of becoming pregnant after the age of 40 is reduced by 50 percent. This percentage continues to drop as a person ages.

Risks

• The risks for complications during pregnancy increase when a woman is over 35. According to webMD.com, women over 35 have a higher risk of giving birth to a Down syndrome baby. Other risks include premature births, low birth rates and a baby in the breech position. If pregnancy is unwanted while menopause is starting, contraception choices should be evaluated and a plan set in place.

Contraception Options

• As a woman ages, her risk of heart disease increases, making hormonal contraception not a preferred choice due to the risk of side effects. A doctor will evaluate the risks involved for each woman, as circumstances vary in each case. For some women, low-dose oral contraception has benefits that control the side effects of menopause. According to epigee.com, tubal ligation is the number one choice for contraception in women over 40. This process prevents the egg from traveling down the fallopian tube, where it can become fertilized and implanted in the uterus. In some cases, the male will choose to undergo a vasectomy, which prevents sperm from traveling through the vas deferens and to the penis. If only an occasional contraceptive is needed, women may find that condoms or sponges fit their needs better than the other options available.

When to Stop Contraception

• A woman is not classified as menopausal until her periods have completely stopped for 12 continuous months when she is over the age of 50 or for two or more continuous years when under the age of 50. Until this happens, a woman remains fertile. Contraception should be used until a diagnosis of true menopause has been made by a physician.