Women's Wellness: Do I still need birth control?

Wondering when you’re menopausal and can safely stop birth control? What birth control is best for women over age 35 or 40? Can you still get pregnant in your 40s and 50s? These are common questions women ask of their gynecologists, women’s health physicians and other health care providers.

Overall, almost half of all pregnancies and 75% of pregnancies in women over 40 years of age are unplanned. 1,2 Also, some pregnancy complications and risk of miscarriage go up with age. So, if you don’t want to become pregnant, using effective birth control until you are truly menopausal is very important.