Updated September 24, 2021 708 votes 160 voters 41.4k views
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Vote up the most interesting menopause facts that you didn't know before.
Don't be ashamed: there are definitely some of you out there who have wondered, "What is menopause?" Menopause is a hormonal change that women go through when they are in their late forties or early fifties. During menopause, a woman will stop ovulating and stop having periods, making her no longer able to bear children. A woman is considered to be menopausal when she goes 12 months without having a period.
But maybe you already knew all that. The rest of this list consists of menopause facts that you probably didn't know. This list explains what happens during menopause, so if you haven't gone through it yet, read this to find out all you have to look forward to. You'll also find some interesting scientific tidbits about menopause and why it happens. Vote up the most surprising facts about menopause.
The so-called "sex hormones" in our bodies do much more than just run our reproductive system. The drop in estrogen during menopause can lead to a loss in bone density, which can lead to fractures. Women can combat this effect on their bones by taking calcium and vitamin D supplements and lifting weights.
Women often experience short-term memory loss and brain fog when they go through menopause. This is because estrogen levels affect neurotransmitters in the brain, which are essential for thinking and memory processes.
Women are more likely to gain weight during menopause because hormone levels greatly impact how our bodies store fat. Menopausal weight gain could also be a result of insomnia caused by night sweats. When people get less sleep, their appetites tend to increase because their circadian rhythm is off.
Scientists used to think that humans were the only animals to live past their fertile years, but they recently discovered that female gorillas also go through menopause. This discovery may help scientists figure out why menopause evolved in the first place.
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Unplanned Pregnancy Is High Among Pre-Menopausal Women
Perimenopause is the period leading up to menopause when periods become irregular and less frequent. Recently, women in their early forties, who are likely in perimenopause, have been experiencing more unplanned pregnancies than ever before. Some scientists believe that more women are staying fertile for longer because of natural selection - women are waiting longer to have children, and only those that are successful pass on their genes.
