Sayuri, the Reason for Choosing to Be a 'Voluntary Single Mother'... Age < Ovarian Age

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyun-ui Cho] Recently, broadcaster Sayuri has attracted attention for giving birth after receiving a sperm donation. The reason Sayuri became a 'voluntary single mother' is due to her ovarian age. Last year, she visited an obstetrics and gynecology clinic due to irregular menstruation and was diagnosed with an ovarian age of 48, which led her to decide to become pregnant. At that time, Sayuri was 41 years old.

Ovarian age can be determined by measuring the number of remaining eggs in the ovaries through the Anti-M?llerian Hormone (AMH) test. If the AMH level is lower than the average for women of the same age group, it means there are fewer eggs available for ovulation. Medically, ovarian function decline is diagnosed when the number of follicles in both ovaries is less than five in an early menstrual ultrasound examination and the AMH level is 1.2 ng/mL or lower.

The number of eggs in the ovaries is most closely related to a woman's fertility. Women are born with a fixed number of eggs while still in their mother's womb. The number of eggs decreases over time. The highest number of eggs is during the fetal stage at 20 weeks of pregnancy, reaching about 6 to 7 million, which decreases to 1 to 2 million by birth. At puberty, when menstruation begins, the number decreases to 300,000 and continues to decline over time, leaving fewer than 1,000 eggs around the average menopause age of 50. The number of eggs begins to decline significantly from ages 35 to 37. This decline in ovarian function with age is why pregnancy becomes more difficult.

Recently, cases of significantly reduced ovarian function have been reported even at relatively young ages. Environmental factors such as alcohol consumption, smoking, birth control pill use, vitamin D deficiency, and irregular lifestyle habits, as well as genetic factors, are considered causes. Additionally, ovarian function may decline due to surgery for ovarian tumors discovered during early screening or treatments such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy for other cancers.

Once ovarian function declines, recovery is practically impossible. The problem is that it is difficult to predict in advance based on symptoms. Sometimes it is discovered incidentally when visiting a hospital due to changes in menstrual flow or cycle, but often there are no symptoms at all.

Experts emphasize the importance of checking ovarian function in advance to accurately understand one's condition if planning pregnancy. Professor Lee Hyenam of the Women's Medical Research Institute at Gangnam CHA Hospital said, "If there is a family member such as a mother or sister who experienced early menopause, it is necessary to undergo related tests to determine if you are in a high-risk group."