ABSTRACT
Compared to other major organ systems, the human female reproductive system ages to the point of failure at a relatively young age. Peak efficiency of the female reproductive system occurs at about age 24 when a woman experiences her maximum fertility potential, after which there is a general decline in fertility with a steep decline beginning after age 35 (U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment, 1988). The onset of ovarian failure and the length of the reproductive life span are quite variable and ultimately are dependent upon follicular depletion (Faddy et al., 1992). However, the rate of follicle depletion and the factors that control it are largely unknown. While it is clear that the aging ovary is central to the loss of female fertility, less is known about the aging uterus and what, if any, age-related uterine changes contribute to the loss of reproductive capacity. This chapter will address the physiology of reproductive aging and summarize the information currently available regarding aging of the human uterus during the reproductive years. The postmenopausal human uterus and aging in non-human species are addressed elsewhere in this text.
