“Menopause, whether natural or induced, is called
premature when it happens at age 40 or younger.
This occurs in about 1% of women in the United States”.1
Umbrella
What may the Premature Menopause Umbrella include?
Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:
- Menopause Before 40
- Premature Menopause
- Premature Ovarian Failure (POF)
- Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)
- Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
Premature Menopause and Early Menopause
Is premature menopause the same as early menopause?
In Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Early and Premature Menopause the (Scottish) NHS Inform explain:
“Menopause before the age of 45 is called early menopause. Menopause before the age of 40 is called premature menopause”.2
Terminology
Are premature menopause, premature ovarian failure and/or premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) the same?
In What Is POI: Premature Ovarian Insufficiency the (United Kingdom) Daisy Network explain:
“Premature menopause, premature ovarian failure and/or premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) are terms that are generally used to describe the same condition, whatever the cause. The words are often used interchangeably, which can be confusing at first. There is no internationally agreed wording, however the newer term for the condition is premature ovarian insufficiency, which may describe it more accurately as the ovaries may not have irreversibly ‘failed’ and premature ovarian insufficiency has important differences from the ‘normal’ menopause which occurs at an average age of 51”.3
Premature Menopause
What is premature menopause?
DotS the definition of premature menopause may vary. The (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health’s (JH) definition is:
The North American Menopause Society’s (NAMS) definition is:
“A. Menopause, whether natural or induced, is called premature when it happens at age 40 or younger. This occurs in about 1% of women in the United States”.5
Premature Ovarian Failure
What is premature ovarian failure (POF)?
DotS the definition of POF may vary. In Spontaneous Premature Ovarian Insufficiency: Definitions and Epidemiology the Australasian Menopause Society (AMS) explain:
“Menopause occurring between 40-45 years of age is called early menopause, with spontaneous early menopause affecting approximately 12% of women”.6
Premature Ovarian Insufficiency
What is premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)?
DotS the definition of POI may vary. In Menopause Before 40 and Spontaneous Premature Ovarian Insufficiency the AMS elaborate on:

Women with spontaneous POI have irregular or no menstrual periods. Women may or may not have menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes.
Up to 4% of women will spontaneously have POI and enter menopause before the age of 40. Spontaneous early menopause (menopause between 40 and 45 years) affects approximately 12 in every 100 women.7
In Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Symptoms & Causes – Overview the (United States) Mayo Clinic’s definition is:
“Primary ovarian insufficiency occurs when the ovaries stop functioning as they should before age 40. When this happens, your ovaries don’t produce typical amounts of the hormone estrogen or release eggs regularly. This condition is also called premature ovarian failure and often leads to infertility”.8
Premature Menopause and POI
How is premature menopause different from POI?
In Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Symptoms & Causes – Overview the Mayo Clinic note:
“Primary ovarian insufficiency is sometimes confused with premature menopause, but these conditions aren’t the same. Women with primary ovarian insufficiency can have irregular or occasional periods for years and might even get pregnant. But women with premature menopause stop having periods and can’t become pregnant”.9
In Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Summary – What Is Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)? the (United States) MedlinePlus explain:
“POI is different from premature menopause. With premature menopause, your periods stop before age 40. You can no longer get pregnant. The cause can be natural or it can be a disease, surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. With POI, some women still have occasional periods. They may even get pregnant. In most cases of POI, the cause is unknown”.10
Premature Menopause Symptoms
Are the symptoms of premature menopause the same as for menopause?
Yes and no. In Premature and Early Menopause: Symptoms of Premature & Early Menopause the JH explain:
“Symptoms of premature and early menopause are like those you would experience if you reached menopause at the expected age of 51–52 years, but symptoms can often be more severe due to the sudden change in hormone levels”.11
“A. Women experiencing premature menopause that is not medically induced go through perimenopause and may have the same symptoms as women with natural menopause, including hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and vaginal dryness. However, compared with women who reach menopause at the typical age, women who experience premature menopause—whether natural or induced—spend more years without the benefits of estrogen and are at greater risk for some health problems later in life, such as osteoporosis and heart disease”.12
Premature Menopause Cause
What causes premature menopause?
According to the NAMS:
“Premature menopause that is not induced can be genetic, metabolic, autoimmune, or the result of other poorly understood conditions”.13
Hormone Therapy
What is one of the highlights about premature menopause included in the 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of the North American Menopause Society?
On page one in The North American Menopause Society Releases Its 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement, published 07 July 2022, one of the highlights is:
- “Women with primary ovarian insufficiency and premature or early menopause have higher risks of bone loss, heart disease, and cognitive or affective disorders associated with estrogen deficiency. It is recommended that hormone therapy can be used until at least the mean age of menopause unless there is a contraindication to its use”.14
Health Care Provider
What if I think I have premature menopause or POI or POF?
If you think you have premature menopause or POI or POF, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this. The NAMS note:
Health Topics A-Z
Where may I find Health Topics related to Premature Menopause?
In Health Topics A-Z you may find:
Links
Where may I find Links related to Premature Menopause?
Your Country may have Links similar to:
Links
This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.New or Updated
- Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
- BMS Statement on Testosterone
- BMS TV: Testosterone Explained
- Bioidentical Hormones Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
- Cancer Treatment – Early Menopause
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Menopausal Symptoms
- Daisy Network [United Kingdom]
- Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
- Dr Gail Busby – I Forgot To Ask the Doctor – Episode 9 The Menopause
- EMAS Position Statement: Predictors of Premature and Early Natural Menopause [European Menopause and Andropause Society]
- Early Menopause
- Early Menopause
- Early Menopause Due To Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy
- Early Menopause Linked To Higher Risk of Future Coronary Heart Disease
- Early Menopause – Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy
- Early Menopause: Women’s Experiences – Overview
- Early Menopause: Women’s Experiences – Resources and Information: Quick Links – 1. Question Prompt List
- Early Menopause: Women’s Experiences – Women’s Profiles
- Early or Premature Menopause
- Earlymenopause.org.nz [Early Menopause Support Group, New Zealand]
- Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
- Find An AMS Doctor [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
- Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
- Fragile X and Premature Ovarian Insufficiency Webinar
- HRT & Menopause Extra
- Health After Menopause
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) With Dr Nicky Peel & Prof. David Armstrong
- Hot Flashes
- Hot Flashes
- Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? [+ Video: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause?]
- How Menopause Impacts Your Health
- Is Menopause Making Me Put on Weight? No, But It’s Complicated
- Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Early and Premature Menopause [+ Video: Menopause Only Happens In Your 50s]
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Menopause and Your Mental Wellbeing [+ Video: Menopause Only Affects You Physically!]
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Signs and Symptoms [+ Video: Talking Menopause With Your GP]
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Supporting Someone Through the Menopause [+ Video: Men Don’t Need To Know About Menopause]
- Lynch Syndrome [+ Video: What Is Lynch Syndrome?]
Lynchsyndrome.org.au [Lynch Syndrome Australia]
- Maintaining Your Weight and Health During and After Menopause
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Help With Hot Flashes Due To Menopause [+ Video]
- Mayo Clinic Minute: How Lifestyle Changes May Help Manage Menopause Symptoms [+ Video]
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause Before 40 and Spontaneous Premature Ovarian Insufficiency
- Menopause Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Menopause FAQs: Premature, Early, and Induced Menopause
- Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
- Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
- Menopause Mindfulness: Understanding the Many Paths To Menopause
- Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 2. Talking To Your GP About Menopause
- Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Common Conditions Associated With Menopause and Midlife
- Menopause Preparedness Toolkit: A Woman’s Empowerment Guide
- Menopause Ruining Your Sex Life?
- Menopause Symptoms: Mayo Clinic Expert Outlines Hormone and Nonhormonal Therapies
Menopause Treatments: What Works, What Doesn’t
- Menopause and Mental Health
- Menopause – Information for Partners – Fact Sheet
- Menopause: Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Questions To Ask About Menopause [NICE Guideline]
- Mood and the Menopause
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Herbs At A Glance
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Menopausal Symptoms In Depth
- Navigating Menopause Together: How Partners Can Help
- Navigating Menopause: Expert Insights and Solutions | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 245
- Non-Estrogen Treatments for Menopausal Symptoms
- Premature & Early Menopause – Fact Sheet
- Premature Ovarian Failure
- Premature Ovarian Insufficiency Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Premature and Early Menopause
- Premature and Early Menopause
- Premature and Early Menopause [+ Video]
- Premature and Early Menopause: Symptoms of Premature and Early Menopause
- Premature and Early Menopause: What Causes Premature and Early Menopause
- Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)
- Prof. P. Schnatz – Heart Disease, Risk Factors of Developing Heart Disease, and Can I Take Hormones?
- Spontaneous Premature Ovarian Insufficiency
- Support After Early Menopause
- Surgical Menopause
- Supporting A Loved One Through Menopause
- Taking Care of Your Mental Health
- The North American Menopause Society Releases Its 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement
- Top Tips To Improve Your Mental Wellbeing
- Tricky Periods: What’s ‘Normal’ and What’s Not
- Understanding Premature & Early Menopause – Booklet
- Using Natural Therapies In the Menopause Transition – Webinar
- Vaginal Dryness
- Video Series-2022: Hormone Therapy: Understanding the Risks and Benefits
- Video Series-2022: Irregular Menstrual Cycles What’s Normal and What’s Abnormal?
- Video Series-2023: Lifestyle Modification and Prevention of Breast Cancer
- Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: How Do I Deal With the Menopause After A Diagnosis of Gynaecological Cancer
- Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: What Women Should Know About Menopause and Brain Fog
- Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: When Your Periods Leave Too Early
- Webinars: Previous – Predictors of Premature and Early Natural Menopause
- Webinars: Previous – Reproductive Conditions and Consequences for Menopausal Health and Management
- Webinars: Previous – The Early Menopausal Patient
- What Everyone Should Know About Menopause Symptoms
- What Is Lynch Syndrome?
- What Is POI (Premature Ovarian Insufficiency)
- Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me This? Episode 3: Dr Annice Mukherjee: Your Essential Menopause Toolkit
Sources
Where may I find the Sources quoted?
You may find the Sources quoted at:
Sources
- Menopause FAQS: Premature, Early, and Induced Menopause – Q. What Is Premature or Early Menopause? North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopause-faqs-premature-early-and-induced-menopause Accessed: 08 January 2023
- Early and Premature Menopause. Last Updated: 29 November 2022. NHS Inform https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/sexual-and-reproductive/the-menopause/overview-of-the-menopause/early-and-premature-menopause Accessed: 08 January 2023
- What Is POI: Premature Ovarian Insufficiency. Daisy Network https://www.daisynetwork.org/about-poi/what-is-poi/ Accessed: 08 January 2023
- Premature and Early Menopause: What Is Premature & Early Menopause? Last Updated: 08 September 2022 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/premature-early-menopause/ Accessed: 08 January 2023
- Menopause FAQS: Premature, Early, and Induced Menopause – Q. What Is Premature or Early Menopause? North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopause-faqs-premature-early-and-induced-menopause Accessed: 08 January 2023
- Spontaneous Premature Ovarian Insufficiency: Definitions and Epidemiology. Content Updated: September 2020. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/information-sheets/742-spontaneous-premature-ovarian-insufficiency Accessed: 08 January 2023
- Menopause Before 40 and Spontaneous Premature Ovarian Insufficiency Content Updated: October 2020. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/health-info/fact-sheets/menopause-before-40-and-spontaneous-poi Accessed: 08 January 2023
- Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Symptoms & Causes – Overview. 27 October 2021. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/premature-ovarian-failure/symptoms-causes/syc-20354683 Accessed: 08 January 2023
- Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Symptoms & Causes – Overview. 27 October 2021. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/premature-ovarian-failure/symptoms-causes/syc-20354683 Accessed: 08 January 2023
- Primary Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Summary – What Is Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)? Last Updated: 05 May 2021. MedlinePlus https://medlineplus.gov/primaryovarianinsufficiency.html Accessed: 08 January 2023
- Premature and Early Menopause: Symptoms of Premature and Early Menopause. Last Updated: 08 September 2022 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/premature-early-menopause/ Accessed: 08 January 2023
- Menopause FAQS: Premature, Early, and Induced Menopause – Q. I’m Only 36 Years Old, and I’ve Already Reached Menopause. What Specific Menopause Information Do I Need? North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopause-faqs-premature-early-and-induced-menopause Accessed: 08 January 2023
- Menopause FAQS: Premature, Early, and Induced Menopause – Q. What Is Premature or Early Menopause? North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopause-faqs-premature-early-and-induced-menopause Accessed: 08 January 2023
- The North American Menopause Society Releases Its 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement. 07 July 2022:1. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/press-release/ht-position-statement-release.pdf Accessed: 08 January 2023
- Menopause FAQS: Premature, Early, and Induced Menopause – Q. I’m Only 36 Years Old, and I’ve Already Reached Menopause. What Specific Menopause Information Do I Need? North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopause-faqs-premature-early-and-induced-menopause Accessed: 08 January 2023