Not every woman goes through menopause in the same way. Many behavioural, biological, social, psychological, and demographic factors affect how severe menopause symptoms are. A recent study raises the possibility that infertility may potentially increase the likelihood of developing certain menopause symptoms, such as mood swings, irritability, and difficulty sleeping. The study’s findings are now available online in Menopause, The Menopause Society’s journal.

The time of menopause onset and the frequency of menopause symptoms have been linked to a woman’s reproductive history. There is some evidence that women with a history of infertility may experience earlier menopause and more severe menopause symptoms, despite the paucity of research on the relationship between infertility and the beginning of menopause or the severity of menopausal symptoms. Furthermore, undergoing stressful life events is linked to reports of increased menopause symptoms, and infertility has been proven to be as traumatic a life event as receiving a cancer diagnosis.