What is it?
For a woman under the age of 40, Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failure is the loss of the normal function of her ovaries. A woman’s ovaries are responsible for secreting important hormones. When a woman’s body doesn’t get these hormones in normal levels, serious health problems can arise. Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failure is a disease that is related to a woman’s menstrual cycle. Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failure in the past has been inaccurately referred to as “premature menopause” or “early menopause.” Patients with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency may have return of ovarian function intermittently and pregnancies can even occur occasionally after the diagnosis.
What are some of the serious health problems associated with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failure?
Osteoporosis
Genetic disorders involving dementia, mental retardation, and neurodegeneration
Hypothyroidism (Low thyroid function)
Adrenal Insuffiiency (Addison’s disease )
Dry Eye Syndrome
Depression
Heart Disease
Diabetes
Infertility
How many women have Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failure?
Accurate statistics about the disease are difficult to obtain due to misdiagnoses and undiagnosed cases. The estimates (from a study done in 1986) are as follows:
1 in 100 women by 40 years of age
1 in 1000 women by 30 years of age
1 in 10,000 women by 20 years of age
What are some misconceptions about Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failure?
-One important misconception is that it is the same as premature menopause. Sometimes Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failue is referred to as “premature menopause” but this is inaccurate and can give the wrong impression about the disease. The term premature menopause is sometimes used in news articles or websites related to Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failue because people tend to know the term “menopause”; but this can be problematic because it has the potential to steer public awareness in the wrong direction and take away from the seriousness of the disease.
-A second important misconception about Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failure is that girls and young women with the condition should be managed in the same manner as women going through normal menopause at the normal age. Women going through normal menopause are typically between the ages of 45 and 60 and have their own special needs. Young women that have Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failure experience a different set of physical and emotional cirumstances; thus they have different medical and emotional needs and must be treated accordingly.
-A third important misconception about Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failure is that Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a cure for the condition. While HRT has been proven to help women that have Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failure control some of the symptoms of the disease and decrease their risk for developing other health problems, it does NOT cure the disease. HRT also does NOT aleviate all of the symptoms of Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failure for every young woman taking the therapy. Some women have better results than others and some women suffer from difficult side effects.