Can taking the pill delay menopause?

Submitted by SouthFar412 t3_11tjzn0 in askscience

I believe menopause is triggered when a woman's body has no more eggs to release. So my question is if a woman took the pill continually such that she doesn't have a period would that cause her also not to release eggs and in doing so cause her eggs to last longer and thus menopause to be delayed by the number of years she was continually on the pill.

If so could a woman perhaps do so for 10 to 15 years resulting in menopause occurring in her 60 to mid 60s rather than 50s when she is still working.

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frustrated_staff t1_jckx1uh wrote

No. Eggs still "die", even when they aren't released for fertilization. They're just absorbed by the body instead of being excreted by it (along with the linings that would have been used to support said egg). Best you could possibly hope for (re: delays) is a month or three (and that's hardly significant by then)

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Alittlebitmorbid t1_jcl55g8 wrote

>I believe menopause is triggered when a woman's body has no more eggs to release

There is nothing to "believe". It is proven science that says the ovarian follicles stops working at a certain age, no matter how many egg cells still are in there, which means lower blood hormone levels as the follicles during the fertile period produce estrogens, androgens and progestins.

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YesWeHaveNoTomatoes t1_jcl7dzd wrote

We're now into the fourth decade of hundreds of millions of women taking the pill for 10-15 years (often with interruptions to have a baby) so if it had an effect on delaying menopause we'd already be seeing it.

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LightningCozy t1_jcmloy5 wrote

Replying to YesWeHaveNoTomatoes (#2,254,979)

Women have been taking them for more like 70 years. Since the early 1960's in the U.S. And many take them far longer than 15 years. Start in one's teens and may take them into one's 50's.

I agree we know it does not stop menopause. Or everyone I know would still be taking the pill.

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Rather_Dashing t1_jcy4vzk wrote

Taking the pill or pregnancy or anything else has no impact on the rate at which your body processes and kills off eggs. They are constantly recruited and start developing, but are only ovulated if the hormone balance is right. Otherwise they are just reabsorbed by the body.

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