Did you know that peri-menopausal women have one of the highest rates of unplanned pregnancy of any age group, with a similar termination rate as the under 16s?
You are not classified as being in the menopause until you have gone a full 12 months without a period, and although as you get closer to the menopause you may stop ovulating (releasing an egg), it is not impossible to have the odd ovulation even if you have gone months without a period.
So how do I know when is safe to stop contraception?
If you are over 50 and not using hormonal medication, you can stop contraception 12 months after your periods stop. If you are under 50 and not using hormonal medication, you can stop contraception 2 years after your periods stop.
As per the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, ‘in general women over 55 can cease contraception, as spontaneous contraception is extremely rare, even in women still experiencing menstrual bleeding’.
If you are taking hormonal contraception or HRT your periods may have stopped as a result of the medication or you may be having artifical bleeds. This can be hard to tell when you have reached menopause.
If this is the case, and you are taking a progestogen only method of contraception and over the age of 50, and would like to know if you can stop contraception before 55, a blood test can be taken to check for follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). If the level of FSH is within the menopausal range, then contraception can be stopped 1 year later.
(Note that most types of HRT are not a contraception )
