Perimenopause is the stage before your final period (menopause). It’s when your body reaches the end of its reproductive years. Perimenopause is a natural part of a woman’s life.
Perimenopause usually happens sometime in your 40s. On average, it lasts four to six years, but it can last from one to 10 years.
During this time, your ovaries begin to run out of eggs. This causes hormone levels, particularly oestrogen, to fluctuate, causing different symptoms, like hot flushes and mood swings.
Changing hormones can also affect your menstrual cycle. For example, your periods may be irregular, shorter (or longer), lighter (or heavier), or they may not come for a few months.
Some months you may ovulate and other months you may not. You may even ovulate twice in a cycle.
Contraception in perimenopause
Even though fertility is lower in your 40s and 50s, it is possible to become pregnant. This is because you still ovulate during perimenopause.
The chance of pregnancy in women aged 45–49 years is around 2–3% per year. After the age of 50, it is less than 1%. While this is low, every woman’s fertility is different.
If you don’t want to become pregnant, you should continue to use contraception until you’ve had:
- one year without a natural period if you’re older than 50
- two years without a natural period if you’re younger than 50.
Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is not a contraceptive. You shouldn’t rely on MHT to prevent pregnancy.
Download our fact sheets or visit resources for more information on perimenopause.