Here’s what we’ll cover in this blog post:
- Delaying menopause with science
- Ovarian longevity breakthroughs
- Menopause or medical milestone?
- Understanding the cultural impact
Imagine a world where menopause became optional.
Recent research by Dr. Kutluk Oktay at Yale School of Medicine suggests we may soon delay or even eliminate menopause. Most researchers have focused on the ovaries, aiming to postpone or prevent their natural decline, but other scientists are repurposing medications like Rapamycin to potentially extend fertility.
As scientists develop technologies to delay or eliminate this transition, we must reconsider how we view women’s aging.
This isn’t a minor scientific curiosity; it may be a major turning point in how we think about female aging and could lead to breakthroughs we haven’t yet imagined.
Freezing Time Through Cryopreservation
In what may soon be a turning point for women’s aging science, Dr. Oktay and his team’s mathematical model predicts that ovarian tissue cryopreservation (removing, freezing, and later reimplanting ovarian tissue) could postpone menopause in healthy women between age 21-40.
The technique has already been successful in restoring ovarian function in cancer survivors, which has given Dr. Oktay the confidence to apply it preventively to healthy women.
About 11% of women enter menopause after age 55, and they tend to have longer life expectancy and less risk of osteoporosis and diabetes than people who go through the transition earlier.
Meanwhile, at Columbia Fertility Center, Dr. Zev Williams and Dr. Yousin Suh pursue another approach. Their team has begun human trials of Rapamycin, an oral medication that has emerged as one of the most promising interventions for extending healthy longevity. Promising early results suggest Rapamycin can decrease ovarian aging by approximately 20%. In practical terms, this could mean about five extra fertile years for women.
Williams explains the mechanism with a simple analogy: “Rapamycin appears to slow down the number of eggs that leave the resting pool each cycle, allowing the overall number of eggs to last longer and delay menopause. It’s almost as if you have a sink full of water and you’re slowing down how fast the water is going down the drain.”
The Health Equation
The benefits could extend beyond fertility. Later menopause correlates with reduced risks of cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline, among other age-related conditions.
But correlation isn’t causation, and the health calculus isn’t straightforward.
Delaying menopause may pose several risks to women. “Late onset menopause has been shown in some studies to be associated with decreased bone loss, vascular disease, and dementia,” explains Dr. Kinney, physician and president-elect of the Menopause Society, in an interview with National Geographic. The article goes on to explain that prolonged exposure to estrogen increases the likelihood of hormone-related cancers like breast and ovarian cancer.
For women experiencing premature menopause before age 40, the benefits of these interventions might outweigh the risks. But for those transitioning at the average age, the equation becomes more complex.
Beyond Medicine
The conversation about menopause extends beyond medical risks and benefits. It touches on how we view women’s aging and natural life transitions.
Many women describe menopause as freeing, whether it’s feeling more emotionally balanced or not having to worry about unplanned pregnancy. Some research suggests that women often become happier as they age, particularly between the ages of 50 and 70. Denise Pines, a women’s health advocate, explains in a Vox article that the physical changes of menopause can actually be a helpful “disruptor” in women’s lives.
“Where women have been so giving and outwardly focused, suddenly you have to focus on yourself,” she explains. “That gives you a chance to reset everything else around you, from relationships to career. It’s such a great time to really reimagine who we are.“
The Medicalization Question
In the same Vox article, journalists asked Dr. Williams about concerns over extending ovarian function, and he responded with an interesting comparison: “You want to extend normal heart function, liver function. But for some reason, if you say we want to slow ovarian aging, that touches on a very different note.”
His point deserves consideration. Why do we accept interventions for other organs but question them for the ovaries?
Perhaps because ovarian function connects to deeper cultural narratives about womanhood, reproduction, and aging. As Ashton Applewhite, writer and advocate, says in a podcast, “World health organizations have almost no data anywhere in the world about women over age 55, because we’re no longer of reproductive value.”
When science and society overlook the inevitable transitions of aging, we risk reinforcing harmful messages about women’s worth. The language is revealing: researchers often speak of “ovarian failure” rather than natural transition.
Renee Wegrzyn, former director of Jill Biden’s menopause initiative, stated: “The ovaries are the only organ in humans that we just accept will fail one day. It’s actually kind of wild that we all just accept that.”
But is it wild to accept natural biological processes? Or is it wild to frame them as failures requiring technological intervention?
A More Balanced Future
The research into delaying menopause offers potential benefits for certain women, particularly those facing premature menopause or severe symptoms. These technologies may provide valuable options.
Yet a truly progressive approach might balance technological advancement with cultural evolution. Pines envisions a future where “we can talk about menopause the same way we talk about puberty” and workplaces support women experiencing symptoms.
She advocates for better training for medical professionals and insurance coverage for treatment of menopausal symptoms. These practical steps would improve women’s lives without pathologizing natural processes.
The real question isn’t if we should study menopause—it’s how. Are we researching ways to better support women through a natural life stage, or are we trying to erase that stage altogether?
As new technologies emerge, there’s an opportunity to reshape the story we tell about aging. One that values women not just for their reproductive years, but for the wisdom, experience, and power that come after.
Maybe the most radical idea isn’t making menopause optional; it’s building a world where it doesn’t diminish a woman’s perceived value.
Now that would be groundbreaking.
Note: The above statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.