Discussing bodily changes with young women
Menopause occurs when a
woman’s reproductive cycle
is over and she can no longer
produce offspring. For
many women, menopause occurs
around age 50.
While menopause itself is
not a risk for breast or other
cancers, it’s important to
know that some symptom
treatments and other factors
can increase the risk
for cancer among menopausal
women.
The North American
Menopause Society
says that a woman
going through
perimenopause and
menopause may experience
various symptoms,
which can range from hair loss to
food cravings to hot flashes to vaginal
dryness.
The National Institutes of
Health indicates some women undergo
combined hormone therapy,
also called hormone replacement
therapy to help relieve menopausal
symptoms such as hot flashes and
osteoporosis.
This therapy replaces estrogen
and progestin, which diminish in a
woman’s body after menopause sets
in. However, NIH’s Women’s Health
Initiative Study has found
that women undergoing this
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therapy have a higher risk
of breast cancer, among
other conditions.
WebMD says evidence
suggests that the longer a
woman is exposed to female
hormones, whether it’s those
made by the body, taken as a
drug, or delivered by a patch,
the more likely she is to develop
breast cancer.
That means that hormone
replacement therapy
can increase breast cancer
risk and also indicates that the
longer a woman remains fertile the
greater her risk for certain cancers.
Women who began menstruating
before age 12 or entered menopause
after age 55 will have had many
ovulations. This increases the risk
of uterine, breast, and ovarian cancers,
states the American Society of
Clinical Oncology.
It also may impact a woman’s
chances of developing endometrial
cancer.
Gaining weight after menopause
can also increase a woman’s risk of
breast cancer, states the MD Anderson
Cancer Center. Therefore, maintaining
a healthy weight or even losing
a little weight can be beneficial.
Women who enter menopause are
not necessarily at a higher risk for
breast cancer, but some factors tied
to menopause can play a role.
Women who want to lower their
risk for various cancers are urged to
eat healthy diets, quit smoking and
maintain healthy body weights.
Parents to preteen
and teenage daughters
may have many
things on their minds
as their children grow older.
Young women entering
puberty are entering periods
marked by unique physical
changes, and families
may find themselves facing
the topic of menstruation
and family life before they
know it.
The Canadian Women’s
Health Network notes that
research indicates a gradual
decline in the average age
of puberty onset in North
American women, with
menstruation occurring
earlier and earlier.
This may be attributed
to decreased rates of disease
and increased nutrition.
Sandra Steingraber,
a medical researcher who
has done groundbreaking
work on the links between
environmental health contaminants
and cancer, says
puberty also may be tied
to environmental changes,
namely exposure to endocrine
disrupting chemicals.
Puberty-related physical
changes may now occur
in girls as young as 8 or 9.
ObGyn.net says that the average
age for menarche, or
first menstruation, in the
United States is age 12.16 for
black girls and 12.88 for caucasian.
Among Canadian respondents
aged 14 to 17 in the National
Longitudinal Survey
of Children and Youth, the
mean age at menarche was
12.72 years.
Parents and young women
between the ages of 10
and 15 should realize that
menarche and menstruation
in general is a critical mark
in the reproductive life of
women and should prepare
for its arrival.
Menstruation is part of
a cycle of reproduction that
occurs when the uterine
lining of blood and tissue
leaves the body because it is
not needed to cushion a fertilized
egg.
A menstrual period
generally can last between
two and seven
days, and during, an
average amount of
two tablespoons of
blood is shed. An entire
menstrual cycle
for girls and teens
ranges from 21 to
45 days, offers
Kids Health.
Each girl
is different,
but menstruation
generally
occurs within two
to four years of other signs
of puberty, such as breast
budding and growth of underarm
and pubic hair.
The American College
of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
recommends that
teenagers schedule a first
gynecologic visit between
the ages of 13 and 15, particularly
if menstruation has
started.
A gynecologist can be
a good sounding board for
questions regarding what
is normal, what to expect in
years to come, and general
health concerning
the female reproductive
system
and body — including
breast
health.
A gynecologist
will also
spell out the
ideal times for certain
testing, which
can include pelvic
exams, external
genital exams,
and Pap tests.
Men s t r u a -
tion can be an
exciting, yet
confusing time in a
young woman’s life. Since
many young women now experience
menstruation earlier
than their mothers may
have, families may want to
discuss puberty with their
daughters sooner than
they might have initially
planned.
A young woman may begin to menstruate anytime between ages
10 and 15 on average. Parents can educate their daughters of the
changes to come.
Menopause and breast
cancer risk
/ObGyn.net
