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When Does Menopause Really Start?

By:
Ruth Westheimer

Question :

If a woman has gone through menopause -- no periods for a year -- but then has a normal one-week-long period, is she still fertile? I was married about two months before my period returned. Could the change from no sex to frequent sex have caused a false period, or the return to fertility?

Answer :

A woman who undergoes menopause doesn't just stop having periods: It's more gradual than that. Her periods become irregular for a time before they stop for good. I don't know if an increase in sexual activity could change a woman's hormonal levels and bring on a period -- which is not false, just irregular -- or whether it would have happened in any case. You should know that you were fertile two weeks before you had this period, and you shouldn't assume that you won't have another one. Keep taking the necessary precautions to avoid an unintended pregnancy.

 

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