Physiologic Changes in

Aging of Reproductive
System
MEJIA, MARIA CHARMIN M
MEJIA, MARIA RIZA MAE M
 AGING CHANGES IN THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

Aging changes in the female reproductive system result mainly from changing hormone levels. One clear sign of
aging occurs when your menstrual periods stop permanently. This is known as menopause.

The time before menopause is called perimenopause. It may begin several years before your last menstrual period.
Signs of perimenopause include:

• More frequent periods at first, and then occasional missed periods

• Periods that are longer or shorter
• Changes in the amount of menstrual flow
Eventually your periods will become much less frequent, until they stop completely.
Along with changes in your periods, physical changes in your reproductive tract occur as well.
Menopause is a normal part of a woman's aging process. Most women experience menopause around age 50, though
it can occur before that age. The usual age range is 45 to 55.

With menopause:

The ovaries stop making the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

The ovaries also stop releasing eggs (ova, oocytes). After menopause, you can no longer become pregnant.
Your menstrual periods stop. You know you have gone through menopause after you have had no periods for 1 year.
You should continue to use a birth control method until you have gone a whole year without a period. Any bleeding
that occurs more than 1 year after your last period is not normal and should be checked by your health care provider.
As hormone levels fall, other changes occur in the reproductive system, including:

Vaginal walls become thinner, dryer, less elastic, and possibly irritated. Sometimes sex becomes painful due to these
vaginal changes.
Your risk of vaginal yeast infections increases.
The external genital tissue decreases and thins, and can become irritated.
Other common changes include:

• Menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, moodiness, headaches, and trouble sleeping
• Problems with short-term memory
• Decrease in breast tissue
• Lower sex drive (libido) and sexual response
• Increased risk of bone loss (osteoporosis)
• Urinary system changes, such as frequency and urgency of urination and increased risk of urinary tract
infection
• Loss of tone in the pubic muscles, resulting in the vagina, uterus, or urinary bladder falling out of
position (prolapse).
MANAGING CHANGES

Hormone therapy with estrogen or progesterone, alone or in combination, may help menopause symptoms
such as hot flashes or vaginal dryness and pain with intercourse. Hormone therapy has risks, so it is not for
every woman. Discuss the risks and benefits of hormone therapy with your provider.

To help manage problems such as painful sexual intercourse, use a lubricant during sexual intercourse.
Vaginal moisturizers are available without a prescription. These can help with vaginal and vulvar discomfort
due to the drying and thinning of tissues. Applying topical estrogen inside the vagina may help thicken the
vaginal tissues and increase moisture and sensitivity. Your provider can tell you if any of these measures is
right for you.

Getting regular exercise, eating healthy foods, and staying involved in activities with friends and loved ones
can help the aging process go more smoothly.
 AGING CHANGES IN THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
Aging changes in the male reproductive system may include changes in testicular tissue, sperm production, and erectile function.
These changes usually occur gradually.
Unlike women, men do not experience a major, rapid (over several months) change in fertility as they age (like menopause).
Instead, changes occur gradually during a process that some people call andropause.

Aging changes in the male reproductive system occur primarily in the testes. Testicular tissue mass decreases. The level of the
male sex hormone, testosterone decreases gradually. There may be problems getting an erection. This is a general slowing,
instead of a complete lack of function.
FERTILITY

The tubes that carry sperm may become less elastic (a process called sclerosis). The testes continue to produce sperm, but the
rate of sperm cell production slows. The epididymis, seminal vesicles, and prostate gland lose some of their surface cells. But
they continue to produce the fluid that helps carry sperm.

URINARY FUNCTION

The prostate gland enlarges with age as some of the prostate tissue is replaced with a scar like tissue. This condition, called
benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), affects about 50% of men. BPH may cause problems with slowed urination and ejaculation.
In both men and women, reproductive system changes are closely related to changes in the urinary system.

EFFECT OF CHANGES

Fertility varies from man to man. Age does not predict male fertility. Prostate function does not affect
fertility. A man can father children, even if his prostate gland has been removed. Some fairly old men can
(and do) father children.

The volume of fluid ejaculated usually remains the same, but there are fewer living sperm in the fluid.

Some men may have a lower sex drive (libido). Sexual responses may become slower and less intense. This
may be related to decreased testosterone level. It may also result from psychological or social changes due
to aging (such as the lack of a willing partner), illness, long-term (chronic) conditions, or medicines.

Aging by itself does not prevent a man from being able to enjoy sexual relationships.
COMMON PROBLEMS
Erectile dysfunction (ED) may be a concern for aging men. It is normal for erections to occur less often than when a man was younger. Aging men are
often less able to have repeated ejaculations.

ED is most often the result of a medical problem, rather than simple aging. Ninety percent of ED is believed to be caused by a medical problem instead of
a psychological problem.

Medicines (such as those used to treat hypertension and certain other conditions) can prevent a man from getting or keeping enough of an erection for
intercourse. Disorders, such as diabetes, can also cause ED.

ED that is caused by medicines or illness is often successfully treated. Talk to your primary health care provider or a urologist if you are concerned about
this condition.

BPH may eventually interfere with urination. The enlarged prostate partially blocks the tube that drains the bladder (urethra). Changes in the prostate
gland make older men more likely to have urinary tract infections.

Urine may back up into the kidneys (vesicoureteral reflux) if the bladder is not fully drained. If this is not treated, it can eventually lead to kidney failure.

Prostate gland infections or inflammation (prostatitis) may also occur.

Prostate cancer becomes more likely as men age. It is one of the most common causes of cancer death in men. Bladder cancer also becomes more
common with age. Testicular cancers are possible, but these occur more often in younger men.
PREVENTION

Many physical age-related changes, such as prostate enlargement or testicular atrophy, are not preventable.
Getting treated for health disorders such as high blood pressure and diabetes may prevent problems with
urinary and sexual function.

Changes in sexual response are most often related to factors other than simple aging. Older men are more
likely to have good sex if they continue to be sexually active during middle age.