title: Ovarian function in late reproductive years in relation to lifetime experiences of abuse.
abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the relation between violence victimization and levels of ovarian hormones during women's late reproductive years, as measured by serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol, which respectively rise and fall with onset of menopause. In March 1999, 732 women 36-45 years of age from the Harvard Study of Moods and Cycles cohort completed a survey of lifetime experiences of physical and sexual harm. Follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol levels were measured during the menstrual period after entry into the cohort. Associations for violence and follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol levels were estimated using crude and adjusted risk differences. Overall, women who experienced abuse during childhood or adolescence relative to never-abused women had a slight positive association of violence with high follicle-stimulating hormone. However, a positive association with high follicle-stimulating hormone was not observed among women whose first abuse occurred during adulthood. Age stratification indicated modification of the association between violence and low estradiol. Women 36-40 years of age had no evidence of a positive association between violence before adulthood and low estradiol, whereas first violence in adulthood was associated with an 11% increase in the estimate of risk difference [95% confidence limits (CL) = -0.14, 0.36]. Among women 41-45 years, there was a 17-23% increase in the estimate of risk difference for low estradiol, regardless of life stage at first experience of abuse (before adulthood, 95% CL = 0.06, 0.28; during adulthood, 95% CL = 0.01, 0.46). This investigation supports the credibility of a hypothesis that physical and sexual abuse may lead to neuroendocrine disruption, thereby affecting ovarian function and potentially leading to altered age at perimenopausal transition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Allsworth
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zierler
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Krieger
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Harlow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D017579:Domestic Violence; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D010053:Ovary / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004958:Estradiol; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone