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Is There Risk Of Pregnancy At The Age Of 56?
Question: I'm a 56 yo woman without children that continues to have intermittent periods. My significant other, a 59 year old male and I would like to have vaginal intercourse without fear of pregnancy and without use of condoms. Is there still a possibility of pregnancy given my advanced age and that of my partner?
Brief Answer:
Detailed explanation given below
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
Hi and welcome to HCM,
I understand your problem.
The risk of pregnancy is extremely low in your age. Also since the cycles are irregular, and with thyroid issues, ovulation rate may be very low in fact it must be absent by now.
The age of the male does not matter so much as though the fertility does decline the sperm count may be sufficient to cause pregnancy.
My only concern is your not attending menopause till 56 years. It would help if you could describe your menstrual history in details regarding the duration and amount of bleed as well as the dates of past few periods if possible. Also if there has been a period of more than a year when you did not have menses.
Having said all this the chance of pregnancy is extremely low, but if you are still menstruating I cannot say it is zero. However pregnancy is extremely unlikely at your age. If you were in my clinic I would investigate you for the reason for menstruation as most women experience menopause by 50-55 years. So it may be possible that the bleeding you experience may be due to other reasons like a polyp or a atrophic endometritis rather than menses.
I suggest that you see a doctor and get evaluated for the delayed menopause. If there is another reason for bleeding you may not need to practice contraception.
I hope this was helpful.
Thanks for using HCm.
Have a good day and feel free to ask any more queries.
Dr Madhuri Bagde
Consultant Ob Gyn
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Onset of menses was at age 11 years. Menstrual flow was exceedingly painful as well as heavy, soaking 3 maxi pads and changing every 2 to 3 hours for the first 3 days, then stopping for almost 24 hours, then the cycle resumed at a lighter flow for a total of 7 days duration. My periods were always erratic, I never knew when or if I would have one from month to month. As I got older I noticed the periods were linked to stress levels but about 2 years ago I noticed my periods were increasingly farther apart. I had a period in XXXXXXX and October 2013 and back in Feb of this year. They last about 3 to 4 days and the flow is moderate with a moderate amount of pain. I saw my PCP in November 2013 and although I mentioned this to her, she merely told me that there are other ways to achieve sexual satisfaction without intercourse. At that time I had a PAP smear which was negative.
Brief Answer:
Chances are miniscule but cannot say zero.
Detailed Answer:
Hi and welcome back,
It seems that you are having periods very 4-5 months now.
You seem to be still menstruating as the amount and duration is steady.
It would be some time until you achieve menopause. Spontaneous pregnancy is very very rare and mostly it needs assisted reproductive techniques after 50 years of age. So the risk is extremely low. But I cannot say that it is zero.
The risk would be small mostly theoretical. So please discuss this with your partner and make an informed decision.
Hope I was able to help.
Thanks for using HCM.
Feel free to ask any more queries.
Dr Madhuri Bagde
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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