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Could ovarian tissue freezing delay menopause? Here’s what research shows
Scientists at Yale School of Medicine published research on possible outcomes when menopause is delayed via ovarian tissue freezing
A new paradigm around the biological processes of menopause is capturing the attention of scientists in the US.
A small group of researchers in the US are analysing the possibility of delaying menopause in healthy women, allowing them to extend their child-bearing years, and perhaps even forestall some of the health risks and uncomfortable symptoms.
This, however, could be controversial. While some people may believe that such research could lead to life-changing benefits for women, others may think the menopause should not be “pathologised” by medical science.
At Yale School of Medicine, Kutluk Oktay, an ovarian biologist who is director of the Laboratory of Molecular Reproduction and Fertility Preservation, recently added a new chapter to this conversation by publishing research on various possible outcomes when menopause is delayed in healthy women via ovarian tissue freezing.
Oktay, who developed and performed the world’s first ovarian transplant procedure with cryopreserved tissue for a patient with a medical indication in 1999, sees a future in which healthy women could use this process of freezing tens of thousands of eggs within the ovarian tissue to stave off menopause for as long as several decades — or even prevent its onset altogether.
“For the first time in medical history, we have the ability to potentially delay or eliminate menopause,” he said.
A mathematical model to predict outcomes for delayed menopause
Using data from hundreds of previous ovarian cryopreservation and transplantation procedures and molecular studies of how ovarian follicles behave in ovarian tissue, Oktay and his colleagues built a new mathematical model to predict how long the surgery could potentially delay menopause under a range of circumstances in healthy women.
Since Oktay performed the first successful transplantation with cryopreserved tissue, ovarian tissue cryopreservation has been successfully used in cancer patients to preserve their fertility before their treatments, which can often permanently damage the egg reserve in the ovaries and trigger menopause.
During this outpatient procedure, a surgeon laparoscopically removes the whole ovary or layers of the outer portion, which contains hundreds of thousands of dormant, immature eggs, known as primordial follicles.
These tissues are then stored in sealed containers after being frozen with a specialised process and kept as low as negative 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
Freezing ovarian tissue with this specialised process preserves it for later use. At some point in the future, the surgeon reimplants the thawed tissue into the patient either laparoscopically or with a simple procedure, using methods developed by Oktay, that places the tissue under the patient’s skin while intravenous sedation is administered.
Within three to 10 days after that, this transplanted tissue regains connections with the surrounding blood vessels and restores ovarian function in about three months.
The recently published mathematical model focusing on healthy women undergoing ovarian tissue cryopreservation considers multiple factors, including the age at which a patient gets the procedure, which plays a significant role in how long menopause can potentially be delayed.
“The younger the person, the larger number of eggs she has, as well as the higher the quality of those eggs,” Oktay said.
The model accounts for women between the ages of 21 and 40. Beyond age 40, data show that the procedure is unlikely to delay menopause for a woman with average egg reserve, but this can change with the development of more efficient freezing and transplantation methods in the future.
Furthermore, the model offers insight into the ideal amount of ovarian tissue to collect. The more tissue a surgeon removes, the longer the procedure can potentially delay menopause. However, the removal of too much tissue can lead to early menopause.
“This model gives us the optimum amount of tissue to harvest for a person of a given age,” explained Oktay.
The model also takes into account the healing process after a surgeon returns the harvested ovarian tissue to the patient. During this healing process, some of the primordial follicles are lost.
Studies on animal models show that as many as 60 per cent of primordial follicles do not survive post-transplantation, leaving 40 per cent that are viable. With newer technologies, Oktay said that he believes surgeons can attain a survival rate of up to 80 per cent.
As the procedure continues to improve, he hopes to eventually achieve a 100 per cent survival rate. Thus, the model accounts for survival rates ranging from 40 per cent to 100 per cent.
Additionally, through transplanting portions of the harvested tissues over several procedures, the research indicates that menopause can be delayed even longer. For example, the team’s model shows that returning a third of the outer portion of the ovary over each of three procedures delayed menopause longer than returning all of the tissue through one surgery.
Based on the model, Oktay predicts that for most women under 40, ovarian cryopreservation can significantly delay menopause. And for women under 30, the procedure may be able to prevent menopause altogether.
Because many women lose their ability to become pregnant sooner than they desire, ovarian cryopreservation could be an appealing option for them, said Hugh S. Taylor, professor and chair of obstetrics, gynaecology and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine.
“Women are also frequently deferring pregnancy until later in life for professional or social reasons,” Taylor added. “The ability to freeze and later transplant ovarian tissue offers a way to extend their fertile lifespan.”
Does delaying menopause via cryopreservation offer health benefits?
Delaying menopause with ovarian cryopreservation may confer certain health benefits associated with a later menopausal age.
Based on new research by Oktay and his colleagues, around 11 per cent of women experience late-onset natural menopause or menopause after age 55.
Studies show that women who experience menopause later may live longer and have a lower risk for a range of conditions, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, retinal disease, depression and bone loss. However, uncertainty remains over whether later menopause actually reduces those health risks.
Oktay hypothesises that those risks also may be mitigated in healthy women who delay menopause via ovarian tissue cryopreservation.
If risk for such chronic diseases is reduced in healthy women who undergo this procedure, it could be a significant benefit. However, Taylor said that “additional research is needed to determine long-term benefits as well as risks.”
In ongoing research, Oktay and his team are studying the outcomes of healthy women who have opted to delay menopause through this procedure.
Publication of these studies is far in the future, but in the meantime, the researcher said the mathematical model offers a starting point for considering the feasibility and possible benefits of forestalling menopause in healthy women.
A low-insulin diet may help curb menopause weight gain, with researchers suggesting that avoiding four food groups could help women avoid gaining weight.
The findings suggest women who ate more vegetables and avoided red and processed meats, potatoes, salty foods and ultra-processed foods were most likely to prevent weight gain during menopause.
Weight gain and changes in body shape are common during perimenopause and menopause.
At least 50 per cent of women experience weight gain during this stage, according to the British Menopause Society.
Evidence suggests women gain an average of about 1.5kg a year during menopause, with average weight gain reaching 10kg by the time menopause is reached.
New research published in JAMA Network Open has identified dietary patterns linked to lower midlife weight gain and obesity during menopause.
The study analysed data from 38,283 women over a 12-year period, covering six years before and six years after menopause.
It used information from the Nurses’ Health Study II, a long-running US study into factors affecting women’s health between 1989 and 2019.
The NHS advises that eating well and exercising can help with menopause symptoms.
It also recommends calcium-rich foods, such as milk, yoghurt and kale, to support bone health.
Researchers assessed participants’ diets every four years and recorded changes in body weight each year.
They examined 11 dietary patterns, including plant-based diets, Mediterranean diets, low-carbohydrate diets and ultra-processed food intake, to see which were linked to less weight gain during menopause.
A low-insulinaemic diet focuses on foods that help keep insulin levels steadier. Insulin is a hormone that helps control blood sugar, and repeated spikes may encourage the body to store more fat.
The study found diets higher in natural, fibre-rich foods and lower in carbohydrates and sugary foods were linked to better weight control.
Researchers said red and processed meats, French fries and potatoes, high-sodium foods and ultra-processed foods were most strongly linked to insulin spikes and menopausal weight gain.
Red and processed meats, along with poultry, were positively associated with weight gain.
French fries were found to trigger hormonal signals that can encourage fat storage.
Researchers also found that higher sodium intake was associated with the greatest weight gain among participants.
Ultra-processed foods and sugary juices were also linked to a higher risk of obesity.
The researchers concluded that avoiding these foods and eating more nuts, legumes, wholegrain carbohydrates and vegetable proteins may help prevent obesity and support longer-term heart health in women.
We are excited to reveal the three exceptional innovators shortlisted for the Brain & Mental Health Innovation Award at the Femtech World Awards 2026.
The award recognises groundbreaking work addressing the cognitive and emotional health challenges that uniquely and disproportionately affect women.
This award is sponsored by Women In Cloud, the global network of 120,000 women tech founders, executives, professionals and allies across 80 countries, united in their mission to make the tech ecosystem an inclusive force for change – and to unlock US$1 billion in new economic access by 2030.
The shortlisted entries will now be judged by a representative from Women In Cloud who will announce the winner at a virtual event on June 19.
Congratulations to the shortlist and thank you to everyone who entered or nominated.
Brain and Mental Health Innovation Shortlist
HealCycle is a clinical and social breakthrough targeting what founder Ananya Grover calls the “Silent Decade” – the years when women’s endocrine health and environmental stressors are routinely dismissed by traditional healthcare silos.
Under the clinical leadership of psychiatrist Dr. Aninda Sidhana, HealCycle monitors HPO-axis markers, addresses conditions like PMDD, and integrates an AI companion, Tara, built on the principle of Radical Empathy.
Backed by the WICCI National Women’s Mental Health Council and designed to meet WHO standards for gender-responsive care, HealCycle is replacing silence with science – from Delhi to the world.
Môr is reimagining cognitive wellbeing from the ground up with the first science-led, female-first nutritional system designed around how women’s brains actually work.
Grounded in compelling research – including findings from Weill Cornell Medicine showing accelerated metabolic brain decline during menopause transition – Môr’s patented AM/PM chrono-targeted architecture delivers the right ingredients at the right time: daytime mental clarity and stress resilience in the morning, nervous system recovery and sleep support in the evening.
With backing from Innovate UK and a clinical feasibility study in development, Môr is building for the invisible majority: cognitively depleted women who have been failed by a market that never built for them.
Véa is an AI-powered emotional operating system that builds a living cognitive profile of each user, helping women understand their thoughts, triggers and behavioural patterns through neuroscience-backed journalling.
Véa does not just record how women feel, it connects the dots across weeks, months and years to reveal the hidden architecture of their emotional world.
Having already analysed over 101,000 anonymised words journaled to identify 3,000+ specific cognitive distortions – such as ‘double-bind’ guilt and ‘catastrophising’ – Véa is closing the critical gender data gap in mental health.
By Sarah Bolt, Forth
Following recent approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, testosterone is set to become much more widely available to women in the UK.
Offering greater access to testosterone treatment through their GP, the move marks a significant shift in how menopause symptoms are recognised and treated.
However, despite the increased access, many women are still in the dark about the role testosterone plays.
As conversations around women’s health continue to evolve, testosterone is becoming an increasingly important part of the menopause discussion.
Already licensed in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, the UK becomes among only a handful of countries making testosterone more accessible for women.
The development marks a significant step forward in recognising the full impact hormonal changes can have during midlife and menopause and the benefits that taking testosterone can have.
Testosterone is often misunderstood, and more closely associated with men, but it also plays a vital role in women’s health.
From energy levels and cognitive function to mood and libido, its influence on the body is far-reaching.
Here are the eight things women need to know about testosterone:
1. Testosterone is a vital female hormone
Testosterone is essential for women.
Produced naturally in the ovaries and adrenal glands it supports a wide range of functions in women including maintaining libido, energy levels, mood, concentration and overall wellbeing.
It also contributes to muscle strength and bone health, both of which become increasingly important during later life.
For many women, low testosterone can leave them feeling a bit out of sorts, impacting confidence, memory, motivation and other areas of life.
Because symptoms are often gradual these are often dismissed as part of ageing or the pressures of life and juggling everything that comes with it.
2. Testosterone levels decline with age
Like oestrogen and progesterone, testosterone levels naturally decline as women get older, particularly during perimenopause and menopause.
Our research found that testosterone levels in women decline by more than 51 per cent with age.
These changes can have a significant impact on daily life, affecting everything from relationships and self-esteem to work performance and sleep quality.
Despite this, many women are unaware that low testosterone may be contributing to how they feel.
3. Signs of low testosterone can vary
Low testosterone symptoms show up differently for everyone. This is why diagnosis and treatment can sometimes be overlooked.
Common symptoms include fatigue, low energy, hot flushes, night sweats, thinning hair, dry skin, muscle weakness, weight gain, mood swings and difficulty concentrating.
Some women may also experience reduced confidence, lower motivation or a loss of interest in sex.
Because many of these symptoms overlap with menopause itself, it is important that women have access to informed conversations and personalised medical advice to determine whether testosterone could help.
4. Testosterone supports more than libido
One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding testosterone is that it is only linked to sex drive.
While testosterone can help improve libido, its benefits extend much further, helping to regulate energy, motivation, emotional wellbeing, muscle strength, bone density and much more.
For some women, restoring testosterone levels can contribute to feeling more energised, confident and mentally sharp again.
5. Testosterone can support cognitive function
One of the main struggles with menopause is brain fog and difficulties with memory and concentration.
Taking testosterone can help protect brain health by supporting communication between brain cells and increasing blood flow.
As awareness around the cognitive impact of menopause continues to grow, testosterone is increasingly being recognised as a tool that helps women better manage these symptoms.
6. Testosterone does not make women masculine
Many concerns around testosterone come from the misconception that it will cause women to develop masculine features.
However, when prescribed appropriately at the right dosage by a qualified healthcare professional, this is unlikely.
The aim of testosterone for women is to help restore hormones to a healthy female range, supporting wellbeing and symptom management.
7. Testosterone is not linked to an increased risk of breast cancer
Another common myth is that testosterone increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer. Current evidence does not support this.
Testosterone does not stimulate breast tissue growth and studies have not shown an increased risk of breast cancer linked to testosterone therapy in women.
In fact, some research has suggested a lower occurrence of breast cancer among women taking testosterone, although more long-term research is still needed in this area.
8. The benefits of testosterone can take time
Testosterone therapy tends to work gradually.
Many women will start to notice improvements in mood, motivation and energy levels within the first few months with the full benefits building over time.
Because testosterone has a cumulative effect, consistent use and regular medical monitoring is important.
Patience is key and ongoing support from healthcare professionals can help ensure treatment remains safe and effective.
Despite growing awareness around hormone replacement therapy, testosterone remains one of the lesser understood hormones.
Our own research shows that testosterone levels in women decline by more than 51 per cent with age with a debilitating impact for many.
Knowledge is power and it’s really important that women are aware of the role testosterone plays in their health, particularly in midlife, so they can see their GP armed with the information they need.
Hormones will fluctuate but hormone mapping is a great place to start and will give women a greater insight into what is happening in their bodies.
It’s imperative that women are able to advocate for themselves and having this information is crucial for this.
Making testosterone more accessible in midlife gives women another treatment option to consider beyond HRT, helping them to manage menopausal symptoms and improve their overall quality of life.
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