Menopause

Q. I started my periods quite young - when I was only 11. Does this mean I will have an early menopause?

A - No, not necessarily. When you first started menstruating doesn't seem to have any particular effect on when the menopause happens. Women nowadays seem to experience menopause slightly later than their mothers' generation.

Q. Can I get pregnant while I am taking HRT?

A - This depends entirely on whether your natural menopause has already occurred. If you went through the menopause before you started HRT you should continue to use contraceptives for a year after your last period. HRT does not increase your chances of getting pregnant and it does not act as a contraceptive. If you started HRT before your periods stopped it will be difficult to know when you have stopped ovulating as you will probably continue to have monthly periods due to the treatment. In this case it may be safest to carry on using contraceptives until you are 55.

Q. I had a friend who had a nervous breakdown when she reached the menopause. Is this common?

A. No. The menopause can sometimes trigger off problems, such as depression, particularly if physical symptoms are making you tired and anxious, but serious mental illness is not a direct result of the menopause

Q. I have always suffered from bad pre-menstrual tension. Does this mean I am in for a miserable time at the menopause?

A. Not necessarily Although pre-menstrual tension and menopause symptoms are both due to changes in hormone balance, the monthly cycles at the menopause involve smaller levels of hormones, and progesterone disappears completely. So the hormone changes may affect you quite differently. On the other hand, pre-menstrual tension and the menopause can both be influenced by stressful situations and by your own personality, so it is true that women who for one reason or another tend to become tense and depressed may have more problems with both pre- menstrual tension and the menopause.

Q. My husband and I are very happily married, and have a good sex life. Will the menopause change this? Is it safe for people of our age to make love?

A. There is no reason why the menopause should affect your sex life - in fart, not having to worry about contraception or messy periods could even improve it. The menopause will not make you any le" attractive as a woman. The only way the menopause 'can spoil things is if vaginal dryness makes sex uncomfortable, or if hot flushes or other symptoms are making you tired and irritable.

Q. My mum always said 'the change' was just a woman's lot. But my doctor says HRT would help my hot flushes and protect my bones. Is it wrong to try to interfere with nature?

A Not unless you think it's wrong to replace a natural hormone - estrogen - that's now missing from your body. That's why it's called replacement therapy - the low doses of hormones used in HRT mimic your body's estrogen and combat the problems caused by oestrogen deficiency.

Causes Of Menopause |