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Perimenopausal pregnancy rate

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Fertility around the perimenopause is reduced.

Pregnancy rate in those not using contraception is:

  • 10-20 per 100 women years at 45
  • 5 per 100 women years at 50

Women should be informed that although a natural decline in fertility occurs with age and spontaneous pregnancy is rare after age 50, effective contraception is required until menopause to prevent an unintended pregnancy.

  • fertility naturally decreases as age increases, with women experiencing a relatively steep decline from the mid-30s onwards mainly due to diminishing quality and quantity of oocytes

  • the chance of pregnancy for a woman having unprotected sexual intercourse (UPSI) over the course of a year is around 10-20% for women aged 40-44 and closer to 12% for women 45-49. Spontaneous pregnancy is rare in women over 50

  • women over 40 who are sexually active should use contraception if they do not wish to become pregnant

Reference:

  1. FSRH (September 2019). Contraception for Women Aged Over 40 Years.

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