What is Menopause?
Ending the period of reproductive capability in women, Menopause signals the complete end of the female gametes (ovum or egg and oocyte, its precursor phase), ovulation, and menstruation. It is typically defined as the cessation of ovarian function and the irrevocable loss of fertility [1]. This means that the reproductive capability which a woman is born with will be lost. This is a complex biological process in which there is ovarian failure due to the loss of ovarian follicular activity, leading to a lack of the sex steroid hormone, estrogen which causes permanent cessation of menstruation and becomes a permanent loss of reproductive function [2].
Globally, the average age of menopause is 49 years, with even more geographical and ethnic variation [1]. But, usually, it seems to happen universally and spontaneously, most frequently after age 45 [3]. A person is considered to be in a state of Menopause if she has not had a period for one year [3].
The result of such hormonal changes could be both symptoms and long-term systemic effects that predominantly impact negatively on cardiometabolic and musculoskeletal health [1], including changes in periods, hot flashes, night sweats, disturbed sleep, vaginal dryness, mood swings, difficulty concentrating and changes in hair distribution occurring several years prior to Menopause [3].
Can you go through menopause twice?
Once a woman has made her last egg, due to menopause, her ovaries cease the production of her two important ‘female’ hormones, estrogen, and progesterone, and she will be unable to conceive again [4]. So naturally, a woman can’t experience menopause a second time in nature.
However, menopause might recur for women in some situations, such as if they underwent certain medical procedures or if they have a history of menopause, particularly if ovarian rejuvenation fails. A small percentage of older women have already reported recurrence of menopause symptoms after undergoing ovarian rejuvenation – when the treatment stops working, the symptoms can come back again [5].
Moreover, some women might still have hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause when they are postmenopausal: for some, these symptoms can persist for one to two years after menopause sets in [6, 7].
Ovarian Rejuvenation and Menopause
Ovarian rejuvenation, developed by fertility doctors to potentially reverse signs of ageing in the ovaries and activate dormant eggs, is done by injecting the ovaries with platelet-rich plasma (PRP), a concentrated solution of your blood [8].
Ovarian Rejuvenation and Menopause symptoms
But how effective is ovarian rejuvenation, and what does its impact mean for menopause symptoms? In general, there isn’t a lot of data showing exactly how long the effects of ovarian rejuvenation will last. Although a few cases of older women requiring a second treatment have been documented, it is apparent that the procedure, at least in some instances, can only temporarily forestall symptoms of Menopause. Once the treatment stops working, Menopause symptoms are likely to resume [5].
Furthermore, it is frequently overlooked that Menopausal symptoms can include hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, mood disorders and weight gain [9]; all of which are related to the accompanying decline in the quantity and quality of ovarian follicles following the loss of ovarian reserve, a hallmark of ageing female fertility [10].
Overall, ovarian rejuvenation is likely to provide temporary relief of Menopause symptoms, after which the symptoms may return. The long-term effect of ovarian rejuvenation on menopausal symptoms is yet to be fully understood.