It seems we will soon be able to chart when we are going to have our menopause, as an Iranian study of 266 women has found it is possible to pinpoint the age of the menopause, by measuring levels of a hormone called AMH.
In the study, the women aged between 20 and 49 were monitored through blood samples and physical examinations at three yearly intervals, over 12 years. The researchers then worked out a mathematical model for estimating the age at menopause. For the 63 women who reached menopause during the study there was consistent agreement between their predicted age and the actual age of menopause. However only three of the women under 45 reached the menopause during the study, causing some experts to call for more tests on a much larger group.
For the small number of women who have an early menopause this could be good news, but UK doctors warned against women relying on such tests as an 'insurance policy' to hold off starting a family.
We wonder how if this will actually help women to plan ahead, or will it instead put more pressure on women to schedule absolutely every aspect of their life?
What do you think?