Is it possible to get pregnant during perimenopause?

The article was professionally consulted with Doctor Nguyen Thi Man - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

Perimenopause is a period marked by a series of physical and emotional changes in a woman. Premenopausal women can get pregnant or not is a matter of much concern. Please refer to the article below to get accurate information on the above mentioned issue.

Perimenopause is usually the 2 to 10 year period before entering menopause. Perimenopause can come early or late differently for each person and often has many factors that determine the early or late menopause in a woman.
Psychophysiology of perimenopause such as health and physical decline. Women often feel sluggish, depressed, skin becomes thin and dry, darkened and hair is dry and broken, along with a series of musculoskeletal problems, genital diseases or cardiovascular problems. , nerve. Mentally, women often feel hot-tempered, grumpy, sometimes have hot flashes, fatigue, trouble sleeping, night sweats,... Besides, there is psychological instability with many people. anxiety, restlessness, irritability, depression,... Especially in terms of physiological health, women often feel pain during intercourse, decreased libido (due to hormonal decline, vaginal dryness, etc.) , ...), frequent urination, painful urination, urinary incontinence,... These are problems that can be encountered in perimenopause. However, depending on the mood of each person, it may or may not be encountered.

During the perimenopause period, women often experience many disorders in the body and menstrual changes (irregular, thinning, abnormal increase - decrease in menstrual blood volume,...). Therefore, when a period has just been missed for a few months at this stage, it is not necessarily true menopause, women in this period need to carefully continue to prevent pregnancy for the next 12 months to avoid unwanted pregnancy. Although the possibility of pregnancy during this period is very small, but not impossible.
Premenopausal women are still able to get pregnant, because at this time they still have periods and the ovaries are still active. Because, during this period is when you see that your period has not completely stopped, there are months or months. Before stopping completely, the ovaries may work at full capacity, a few follicles will ripen and suddenly fall. Therefore, at this stage, women should not be subjective but need to take reasonable contraceptive measures.

Women in perimenopause need an effective, safe, and appropriate method of contraception to control pregnancy until menopause if they do not want to become pregnant in middle age. Currently, there are many methods of contraception such as:
Hormonal: Oral hormonal contraceptives such as combined Estrogen - Progesterone or progesterone alone. Non-oral hormonal contraceptives such as: Injections, patches, or vaginal rings. IUDs with or without hormones: During the first 3-6 months of use, there may be less bleeding, more menstrual bleeding, and more abdominal pain. Sterilization: Tubal ligation or tubal ligation, vasectomy in men. Barrier method (diaphragm + spermicide, spermicide, male and female condoms): Many recommend that regular and correct use of this method can increase the effectiveness of birth control by 95-98% . Family planning (circadian rhythm method) is not recommended for premenopausal women because irregular menstrual cycles make predicting ovulation difficult. Emergency contraception can also be used when a method of use is found to be unsafe, but it is not recommended for regular use. Always keep in mind that the only method of birth control that protects against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases is condoms. Premenopausal women should not use estrogen-containing birth control if they smoke or have a history of estrogen-dependent tumors, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or blood clots. Hormonal contraceptives can mask signs of menopause such as irregular periods, making it difficult to tell when menopause is coming. Using any combination estrogen-progesterone contraceptive will result in heavy bleeding, even after menopause.
In summary, grasping the characteristics of perimenopause and should adhere to safe contraceptive methods because pregnancy and childbirth in the age of 40 are often very difficult, increasing the risk of complications such as miscarriage, stillbirth, birth defects,... Vinmec International General Hospital always provides pre-menopausal health care packages and consultations for female customers aged 45-55 to support women. diagnose diseases as well as psychological and mental changes in premenopausal women.