Premature Menopause

Premature Menopause

“With premature menopause,
your periods stop before age 40.
You can no longer get pregnant”.1

Umbrella

What may the Premature Menopause Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Menopause Before the age of 40
  • Premature Menopause
  • Premature Ovarian Failure (POF)
  • Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)
  • Primary Ovarian Insufficiency

Premature Menopause and Early Menopause

How are premature menopause and early menopause different?

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

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:



“Premature menopause is when your final period happens before the age of 40”.3

Premature Menopause and POI Differences

What are some premature menopause and primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) differences?

In Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Symptoms & Causes – Overview the (United States) Mayo Clinic note:

“Sometimes, primary ovarian insufficiency is confused with premature menopause. But they aren’t the same. People with primary ovarian insufficiency can have irregular or occasional periods for years. They might even get pregnant. But people with premature menopause stop having periods and can’t become pregnant”.4

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”.5

Common or Not

How common is premature menopause?

In Premature Menopause the (United States) Menopause Society’s (formerly the North American Menopause Society) definition is:

“The normal age range of menopause is between 46 and 55 years However, about three in 100 women will go through menopause before age 40. This is known as premature menopause”.6

Premature Menopause Cause

What causes premature menopause?

In Premature and Early Menopause: Why Do Some Women Experience Early or Premature Menopause? the JH explain:

“Many of the causes of premature and early menopause are the same. In around half of all women with premature or early menopause, the cause is not known.

Some women experience menopause earlier than 45 years because of:

  • Surgery that removes the ovaries
  • Cancer treatments (e.g. chemotherapy, some types of radiotherapy)
  • Some autoimmune diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis)
  • Some genetic disorders (e.g. Fragile X, Turner’s syndrome)
  • Some infections (e.g. mumps, HIV)
  • A family history of early menopause
  • Menstrual periods that started before the age of 11.

One way you can lower your risk of premature or early menopause is to make sure you don’t smoke”.7

Premature Menopause Symptoms

Are premature menopause symptoms similar to natural menopause symptoms?

Yes and no. In Premature and Early Menopause: Symptoms of Premature and Early Menopause the JH explain:

“If you go through premature or early menopause, you will have menopausal symptoms that are similar to women who go through natural menopause.

You might have more severe symptoms because you have a more sudden drop in hormone levels”.8

Premature Menopause Complications

What can be some complications of premature menopause?

In Premature and Early Menopause: Symptoms and Causes – Complications of This Condition, dated 28 April 2026, the (United States) Cleveland Clinic include:

“People who go through menopause early often have stronger symptoms. These symptoms can affect sex and intimacy.

Early menopause also means spending more years without estrogen. Estrogen plays an important role in bone and heart health. Loss of estrogen can increase your risk for:

  • Osteoporosis
  • Heart disease
  • Depression

Various neurological diseases, like dementia and Parkinson’s disease”.9

Hormone Medicines

Are hormone medicines recommended?

The JH explain:

“If you have premature or early menopause, your doctor will probably recommend you use medicines containing hormones, either menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) or the contraceptive pill (the Pill), at least until the usual age of natural menopause (about 51 years of age). These medicines will reduce your long-term health risks of bone loss (osteoporosis) and heart disease”.10

Health Care Provider

What if I experience premature menopause?

If you experience premature menopause it is important to talk to your health care provider. The JH note:

“Women who go through premature menopause or early menopause are more likely to have heart and bone diseases than women who have gone through natural menopause. It’s important to see a doctor to prevent bone loss and heart disease even if you don’t have menopausal symptoms”.11

In Premature and Early Menopause: How To Manage Premature and Early Menopause the JH also explain:

“Different health professionals can help you manage menopausal symptoms and your risk of longer term health issues. For example:

  • Endocrinologists (doctors who specialise in hormones)
  • Gynaecologists (doctors who specialise in reproductive health, or how the ovaries, uterus and vagina works)
  • Psychologists (a health care professional who specialises in emotional health).

You should also see your own doctor regularly over the years to check your health needs, medicines and any health risks”.12

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Premature Menopause?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

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

  1. ACOG Explains: Managing Menopause Symptoms [American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists]
  2. Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
  3. BMS TV: Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)
  4. Premature MenopauseBioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
  5. Build Better Bones.org [International Osteoporosis Foundation]
  6. Cancer Treatment – Early Menopause
  7. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Menopausal Symptoms
  8. Complementary & Alternative Therapies: Non-Hormonal Treatments for Menopause Symptoms
  9. Complementary Medicines and Therapies for Hot Flushes
  10. Complementary Medicines and Therapies: Options for Menopausal Symptoms
  11. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2023 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Premature and Early Menopause
  12. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Preparing for Your Menopause Health Care Visit
  13. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2025 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Nutrition At Menopause and Why It’s Important
  14. Daisy Network [United Kingdom]
  15. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
  16. EMAS On-Demand Webinars [European Menopause and Andropause Society] [Multiply Languages]: Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM): Diagnosis and Evidence-Based Management
  17. EMAS On-Demand Webinars [European Menopause and Andropause Society] [Multiply Languages]: Menopause and Mental Health: Managing Anxiety, Depression, and Cognitive Changes
  18. EMAS On-Demand Webinars [European Menopause and Andropause Society] [Multiply Languages]: Sleep Disturbances In Menopause
  19. Early Menopause
  20. Early Menopause and POI Resources
  21. Early Menopause and POI Resources: What Is POI?
    Premature Menopause
  22. Early and Premature Menopause
  23. Early or Premature Menopause
  24. Early or Premature Menopause
  25. Early Menopause: Women’s Experiences – Overview
  26. Early Menopause: Women’s Experiences – Resources and Information: Quick Links – 1. Question Prompt List
  27. Early Menopause: Women’s Experiences – Women’s Profiles
  28. Earlymenopause.org.nz [Early Menopause Support Group, New Zealand]
  29. Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
  30. Find A Practitioner [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
  31. Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
  32. Five Things Young Women Need To Know About the Menopause
  33. Fragile X and Premature Ovarian Insufficiency Webinar
  34. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
  35. Guideline on Premature Ovarian Insufficiency
    Premature Menopause
  36. HRT Questions Answered
  37. HRT – Types, Doses and Regimens
  38. Handling Hot Flushes and Night Sweats| Dr Louise Newson
  39. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): A Summary
  40. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Benefits and Risks
  41. Hot Flashes
  42. Hot Flashes
  43. How Do You Know You’re In Menopause After A Hysterectomy?
  44. International Menopause Society (IMS) Recommendations and Key Messages on Women’s Midlife Health and Menopause
  45. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Early and Premature Menopause [Other Languages and Formats]
  46. 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] [Other Languages and Formats]
  47. Lynch Syndrome [+ Video: What Is Lynch Syndrome?]
  48. Lynch Syndrome
  49. Lynch Syndrome
  50. May Is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month!
  51. Menopause
  52. Menopause
    Premature Menopause
  53. Menopause
    Premature Menopause
  54. Menopause Before 40 and Spontaneous Premature Ovarian Insufficiency
  55. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
    Premature Menopause
  56. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
    Premature Menopause
  57. Menopause Q&A With Expert Cancer Support Specialists [+ Videos]: How Can I Manage Treatment-Induced Menopause? [Video]
  58. Menopause Q&A With Expert Cancer Support Specialists [+ Videos] [What Is Cancer Induced Menopause? [Video]
  59. Menopause Q&A With Expert Cancer Support Specialists [+ Videos] What Is Cancer Induced Menopause? [Video]
  60. Menopause Symptoms: Mayo Clinic Expert Outlines Hormone and Nonhormonal Therapies
  61. Menopause Treatment Options After Cancer
  62. Menopause and Cardiovascular Disease and Using HRT To Treat Menopause Symptoms
  63. Menopause and Mental Health
  64. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline]
  65. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline]
  66. Mood and the Menopause
  67. Mymenoplan.org [My Menoplan, United States]
  68. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Herbs At A Glance
  69. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: How Safe Is This Product or Practice?
  70. Navigating Menopause Together: How Partners Can Help
  71. Navigating Menopause: Honest Answers To All Your Questions [+ Video: What To Expect in Menopause]
  72. Navigating Menopause Care Resource Guide
    Premature Menopause
  73. Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
  74. Online Events International Menopause Society]: IMS Partnership Symposia Series – Evaluating High-Risk Patients In Menopause At Risk of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
  75. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: IMS Partnership Symposia Series – Practical Application of the Guideline on Premature Ovarian Insufficiency
  76. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: IMS Partnership Symposia Series – What Is Sleep, What Is Menopause and How Do They Interact?
  77. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: IMS Partnership Symposia Series – What’s Hot? Options for Treatment of Hot Flushes 2025
  78. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars – 2025: Lifestyle Medicine
  79. Online Events [International Menopause Society: Past Webinars – 2025: The Burn, the Itch, the Pain, the Urge: GSM In Women
  80. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars – 2025: The New POI Guideline: What You Need To Know
  81. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars – 2026: New IMS Recommendations: Evidence-Based Management of Vasomotor Symptoms
  82. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars – 2026: New IMS Recommendations – Lifestyle, Diet, Exercise
  83. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars – 2026: New IMS Recommendations – Midlife Body Changes
  84. Pathtogoodbonehealth.org [Your Path To Good Bone Health, Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation, United States]
  85. Premature Menopause
  86. Premature Menopause Is Associated With the Development of High Blood Pressure: A UK Biobank Cohort Study
  87. Premature Menopause Raises Long-Term Heart Risk By 40%
  88. Premature and Early Menopause
  89. Premature and Early Menopause
  90. Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
  91. Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)
  92. Supplements: What Works, What Doesn’t and the Truth About Menowashing
  93. Surprising Menopause Symptoms | Dr Louise Newson Live
  94. The Menopause Society Show: Menopause & Sexual Desire
  95. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Impending Menopause: How Can Fertility Be Preserved?
  96. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  97. Webinar: Early Menopause
  98. Why Does Menopause Happen Early In Some Women
  99. Why Men Need To Understand The Menopause & Women’s Hormones | Dr Louise Newson
  100. World Menopause Day 2025 [18 October]
    Premature Menopause Premature Menopause

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Primary Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Summary – What Is Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)? Last Updated: 21 May 2026. MedlinePlus https://medlineplus.gov/primaryovarianinsufficiency.html Accessed: 04 August 2026
  2. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Early and Premature Menopause. Last Updated: 20 November 2025. NHS Inform https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/womens-health/later-years-around-50-years-and-over/menopause-and-post-menopause-health/early-and-premature-menopause/ Accessed: 04 August 2026
  3. Premature and Early Menopause: What Is Premature & Early Menopause? Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-topics/menopause/premature-and-early-menopause/ Accessed: 04 August 2026
  4. Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Symptoms & Causes – Overview. 20 October 2023. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/premature-ovarian-failure/symptoms-causes/syc-20354683 Accessed: 04 August 2026
  5. Primary Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Summary – What Is Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)? Last Updated: 21 January 2026. MedlinePlus https://medlineplus.gov/primaryovarianinsufficiency.html Accessed: 04 August 2026
  6. Premature Menopause. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/patient-education/menopause-topics/premature-menopause Accessed: 04 August 2026
  7. Premature and Early Menopause: Why Do Some Women Experience Premature and Early Menopause? Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-topics/menopause/premature-and-early-menopause/#section-symptoms-of-premature-and-early-menopause Accessed: 04 August 2026
  8. Premature and Early Menopause: Symptoms of Premature and Early Menopause. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-topics/menopause/premature-and-early-menopause/#section-symptoms-of-premature-and-early-menopause Accessed: 04 August 2026
  9. Premature and Early Menopause: Symptoms and Causes – Complications of This Condition. 28 April 2026. Cleveland Clinic https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21138-premature-and-early-menopause Accessed: 04 August 2026
  10. Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 1. Who Is MHT For? Women With Existing Medical Conditions. 2024:4. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024-WMD-Leaflet_English.pdf Accessed: 04 August 2026
  11. Premature and Early Menopause: How To Manage Premature and Early Menopause. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-topics/menopause/premature-and-early-menopause/#section-how-to-manage-premature-and-early-menopause Accessed: 04 August 2026
  12. Premature and Early Menopause: What Is Premature and Early Menopause? Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-topics/menopause/premature-and-early-menopause/#section-what-is-premature-and-early-menopause Accessed: 04 August 2026
  13. Premature and Early Menopause: How To Manage Premature and Early Menopause. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-topics/menopause/premature-and-early-menopause/#section-how-to-manage-premature-and-early-menopause Accessed: 04 August 2026
Topic Last Updated: 04 August 2026 – Topic Last Reviewed: 04 August 2026

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