ABSTRACT
Although menopause marks the absolute upper limit of the reproductive span, childbearing typically ends several years before menopause, even in the absence of contraception. This chapter talks about a state of permanent sterility that demographers believe to be a universal concomitant of increasing age. It reviews the standard demographic estimators of the prevalence of sterility and addresses several frequently recurring analytical issues. Several conditions can induce a temporary inability to conceive that is readily reversible; obvious instances include lactational anovulation and inadequate luteal function associated, for example, with anorexia nervosa or endurance exercise. Many of the same conditions can also induce partial sterility or subfecundity, as can such disorders as malaria, endometriosis, polycystic ovarian disease, and hypothyroidism. The various causes of genuine, permanent sterility to which women are potentially subject can be classified into three categories: congenital and genetic, infectious, and senescent.
