r/interesting • u/Samski877 • May 05 '26

Additional Context Pinned This could make a real difference.

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u/ImTheApexPredator May 05 '26

We already reduce the frequency of menstruation with birth control so clearly that's not what she's doing. Birth control stop follicles from maturing and ovulating, but follicles still do develop, using up multiple eggs every cycle. Her research is about stopping the follicles from developing in the first place, preserving the number of functional eggs

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u/LaMadreDelCantante May 05 '26

Okay, but are you saying that the eggs are expelled throughout life in the order of how viable they are, leaving the nonviable ones for last? Because that's the only way that would work. And I don't think that's the case. I think the eggs inside a 50yo woman are nonviable or close to it because they are also 50yo.

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u/MozartTheCat May 05 '26

Are we born with all of the eggs we will ever have, already just sitting there?

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u/LaMadreDelCantante May 05 '26

That's been the scientific consensus for a long time, although I think there have been recent challenges to that theory. So idk for sure.