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Gonads and the Aging Process: A Journey of Decline
Gonads play a crucial role in reproductive health, with significant differences between male and female reproductive systems. Men continuously produce sperm from puberty until death, while women are born with all their eggs, which decrease in number and quality over time. By age 30, a woman typically retains only 10% of her initial egg supply, dropping to 3% by age 40, leading to difficulties in regular hormonal cycles. As estrogen levels decline, various symptoms emerge, including changes in menstrual patterns and musculoskeletal issues, which are often overlooked by healthcare professionals who focus mainly on common menopause symptoms like hot flashes and sleep disturbances.