Fertility Aged 35-55
From the age of 35 onwards a woman’s body starts to change. Fertility falls and the menstrual cycle (periods) can change. Periods can become heavier, more irregular or stop, sometimes for weeks or months.
Even if your periods stop or become irregular you can still get pregnant.
Although it’s harder to get pregnant as you get older, pregnancy is still
possible at any time until the menopause. Most doctors don’t consider that
a woman has reached the menopause until she has not had a period for a year
(or two years if her periods stop before she is 50).
DID YOU KNOW?
Fertility falls significantly in your late thirties, but 90% of women over
40 who have regular cycles may still ovulate, but not in every cycle.
The perimenopause is the time before the menopause when your body starts to change. It usually starts in your forties and lasts up to six years or more.
DID YOU KNOW?
90% of women have 4-8 years of menstrual cycle changes before their periods
stop completely.
More information about Reproductive Health.
If you don’t want to get pregnant you need to use contraception every time you have sex – whatever your age.
