Female astronauts: Impact of space radiation on menopause

Abstract

Space travel has different effects on the reproductive capacity of women compared to men. The radiation exposure intrinsic to deep space travel causes destruction of some of a woman's primordial follicles. Data suggests that a typical Mars mission may reduce a women's ovarian reserve by about 50%. This has consequences to a woman's reproductive capacity and, more significantly, decreases the time interval to her menopause. A reduced time interval to menopause is associated with earlier mortality. Estrogen replacement therapy and cryopreservation of a female astronaut's oocytes may be used to address these issues. However, cortical tissue freezing provides advantages to more directly compensate for these workplace complications. Cortical tissue freezing especially provides advantages if there are plans to reproduce in an extraterrestrial location.

Keywords: Astronauts; Cortical tissue freezing; Fertility preservation; GCR; Infertility; Mars mission; Menopause; Ovarian reserve; Premature ovarian failure; Primordial follicles; Radiation hazard; Space program; Space radiation.