Your “Real” Reproductive Age

Up until 2001, there were no clinical guidelines to characterize our reproductive life span. Finally, representatives from esteemed organizations, including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the National Institutes of Health, and the North American Menopause Society, pooled their knowledge and developed the STRAW system. STRAW stands for the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop in which it was developed, under the direction of Dr. Soules.

The beauty of STRAW is that you can get a sense of what stage you are in based on your menstrual patterns, symptoms, and the overall characteristics of a stage, rather than just a certain hormone range or chronological age. Looking at the whole picture makes it clearer that reproductive capacity is unique for each individual, explains Dr. Soules. After all, there are a great number of variables in each woman’s genetic makeup, health, and lifestyle habits that carry her more quickly or slowly from one reproductive stage to another… read more about fertility tip…