Menopause Symptoms May be Linked to Infertility: What Does New Study Say?

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Women with a history of infertility are more likely to develop certain menopausal symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, irritability, and mood swings, than those without infertility, found a study published in the Menopause Society, in August 2023.

The Big Point: A total of 36.6 percent out of the 700 participants of the research had a prior history of infertility and were more likely to experience extreme difficulty in sleeping, irritability, and depressive moods, among others.

Why Does it Matter? The recent study can be used as caution. Women who are in their midlife, undergoing any stage of menopause can undergo a mental health screening to identify symptoms of depressive mood, after which the necessary steps for care may be taken. 

“This study shows an association between a history of infertility and increased odds of depression and sleep symptoms in midlife. Women in midlife with a history of infertility may benefit from increased screening for depression.”

Dr Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society in ANI.   

The Larger Context: Depression and anxiety disorders have been previously linked with infertility and menopause. A study published in the Indian Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, in July 2023, noted that anxiety disorders were common among women who were undergoing menopause and were comorbid with depression. 

Moreover, a study published in PubMed in 2022 saw that 58 percent of women with infertility reported depression and 24 percent reported anxiety. 

This, however, is the first study to explore the link between infertility and menopausal symptoms.