Contraception for Women Aged Over 40: An Important But Neglected Area

the age of 40 is reduced compared with the peak reproductive years, a small number of women continue to be fertile even into their early 50s. Women over 40 have a higher risk than younger women of having fetal abnormalities as well as pregnancy-related complications. At least one in four pregnancies in women older than 40 ends in abortion. Anecdotally, women may underestimate their fertility and subsequent risk of pregnancy in their later reproductive years. Women in their 40s and early 50s require evidence-based information about contraception to reduce the risk of an unintended pregnancy.