Sodiq Ojuroungbe
A new study has suggested that infertility may be a risk factor for severe symptoms of menopause that include depressive mood, irritability, and sleep problems.
The study, which was published in the journal of The Menopause Society, linked the time of menopause onset and the frequency of menopause symptoms to a woman’s reproductive history.
The study found that women with a history of infertility may experience earlier menopause and more severe menopause symptoms.
The researchers, in carrying out the study involved 695 midlife women to specifically evaluate the effect of a lifetime history of infertility on the experience of menopause symptoms in midlife.
The women in the study were enrolled when they were in their 30s and were followed for an average of 18 years.
About one-third (36.6 per cent) of the 695 participants reported an experience of infertility, higher than the national average for infertility overall
The researchers discovered that undergoing stressful life events is linked to reports of increased menopause symptoms, and infertility had been proven to be a traumatic life event.
They concluded that women with a history of infertility had greater odds of experiencing sleep problems, depressive moods, and irritability.
The study noted that a woman’s reproductive history is one of the many factors that may influence when menopause begins, as well as the prevalence of menopause symptoms.
The lead author, Dr. Victoria Fitz, said the study was the first to show that a prior history of infertility was associated with depressive symptoms specifically in midlife.
She said, “When we looked at individual symptoms reported, the categories of symptoms with increased reporting or severity among women with infertility included depressive mood, irritability, and sleep problems.
“If our findings are confirmed in other studies, it would suggest that providers should consider a history of infertility as a risk factor for depressive mood and sleep problems in midlife, and possibly initiate screening for these conditions earlier or with greater frequency.
“It is important for women and providers to be aware of the association of history of infertility and depressive mood because it suggests that history of infertility could be used to trigger increased screening for depressive symptoms during midlife years.”
Reacting, a psychiatrist, Dr. Biodun Adejare told PUNCH Healthwise that a woman with infertility may experience depression, which could have a negative impact on her health.
He explained that mood irritability and sleep problems are all symptoms of depression, which could be triggered by continuous thinking from a woman suffering from infertility.
“Infertility is a negative life event. There is evidence that negative life events can impact the experience of menopausal symptoms.
“It is important for people to speak with health professionals when they are experiencing symptoms of depression,” he advised.
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