What causes Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failure?
For a large percentage (90%) of young women diagnosed with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failure, the actual cause is not known. For the 10% of the remaining cases, here are some of the causes. This is not an all inclusive list:
• Idiopathic (unknown cause)
• Iatrogenic origin (surgery, chemotherapy, radiations);
• Genetic disorder (Turner syndrome, Premutation in the Fragile X gene, Classic Galactosemia)
• Ovarian autoimmunity;
• Environmental toxin
• Infections (e.g. herpes zoster, cytomegalovirus);
How can knowing the cause of Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failure help a woman?
Determining what caused Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Premature Ovarian Failure can be beneficial for a woman. The information may uncover a health problem or risk that she wasn’t previously aware of. Also, knowing the cause may help her seek support from corresponding support groups or organizations that specialize in the underlying disease (e.g. Fragile X syndrome).