What is premature ovarian failure?
Premature ovarian failure (POF), also known as primary ovarian insufficiency, is a condition where the ovaries stop functioning properly before age 40. This results in menopause-like symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and irregular or missed menstrual periods.
Some key points about POF:
- It affects roughly 1% of women under age 40, and 1 in 10 women under 30 with amenorrhea (lack of periods).
- The causes are often unknown, but can include autoimmune disorders, genetics, enzymes deficiencies, and damage to the ovaries from surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.
- Women with POF typically have low estrogen levels and high FSH levels on blood tests.
- The main symptom is irregular periods or amenorrhea. Other symptoms resemble natural menopause: hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood changes, trouble sleeping, reduced sex drive.
- Most women with POF are infertile due to low egg supply. But pregnancy is still possible in some cases.
- Bone density loss can occur due to estrogen deficiency, raising osteoporosis risk later in life. Heart disease and neurological disease risks may also increase.
- Hormone replacement therapy with estrogen/progesterone can help alleviate symptoms, protect bone health, and reduce other health risks associated with low hormone levels before natural menopause age.
I hope this overview on premature ovarian failure helps provide the key facts about this condition. Please let me know if you have any other questions!