Premature Ovarian Insufficiency

“Primary ovarian insufficiency — also called premature ovarian failure — occurs when the ovaries stop functioning normally before age 40”.1

Umbrella

What may the Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) Umbrella include?

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

  • Premature Ovarian Failure (POF)
  • Premature Ovarian Failure Syndrome
  • Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)
  • Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)

World Menopause Day 2020

World Menopause Day 2020What is the theme of World Menopause Day 2020?

In World Menopause Day: World Menopause Day 2020 the IMS elaborate on:

“The theme for World Menopause Day 2020 is Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)”.2

Terminology

Are premature menopause, premature ovarian failure (POF) 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

Early MenopausePremature MenopausePremature Menopause and Early Menopause

Is premature menopause the same as early menopause? No. The (United States) Hormone Health Network’s elaborate on:

“In the United States, the average age for menopause is 51 for non-smokers and 49 for smokers, with a typical age range somewhere between 47 and 55 years. Some women experience menopause sooner — before age 45 is considered early menopause, and before age 40 is considered premature menopause”.4

Premature Ovarian Failure (POF)

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 spontaneously in women younger than 40 years of age affects approximately 1% of women. This was previously referred to as premature ovarian failure; however, the preferred term is now premature (or primary) ovarian insufficiency (POI)”.5

Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)

What is Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)?

DotS the definition of POI may vary. In Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI): Condition Information – What Is POI? the (United States) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s definition is:

Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)

“Health care providers use the term POI when a woman’s ovaries stop working normally before she is 40 years of age”.6

In Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Symptoms & Causes – Overview the (United States) Mayo Clinic’s definition is:

“Primary ovarian insufficiency — also called premature ovarian failure — occurs when the ovaries stop functioning normally before age 40. When this happens, your ovaries don’t produce normal amounts of the hormone estrogen or release eggs regularly. This condition often leads to infertility”.7

POI and Periods

Can women with POI have periods?

In Menopause Before 40 and Spontaneous Premature Ovarian Insufficiency the AMS note:

“Women with spontaneous POI have irregular or no periods”.8

POI and Pregnancy

Can women with POI become pregnant?

In Premature & Early Menopause: Terminology the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health explain:

“Spontaneous pregnancy may occur, especially after the diagnosis has been made, in up to one in 50 women”.9

POI and Menopausal Symptoms

Can women with POI have menopausal symptoms?

In Menopause Before 40 and Spontaneous Premature Ovarian Insufficiency the AMS note:

“Women may or may not have menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes”.10

POI Common or Not

How common is POI?

In Premature Ovarian Failure: How Common Is Premature Ovarian Failure? You and Your Hormones, An Education Resource From the (United States) Society for Endocrinology elaborate on:

“It is relatively rare, occurring in one in 1,000 women under the age of 30 and one in 100 women under the age of 40”.11

POI Symptoms

What may be POI symptoms?

In Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI): Summary – What Is Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)? What Are the Symptoms of Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)? the Medline Plus explain:

“The first sign of POI is usually irregular or missed periods. Later symptoms may be similar to those of natural menopause:

  • Hot flashes
  • Night sweats
  • Irritability
  • Poor concentration
  • Decreased sex drive
  • Pain during sex
  • Vaginal dryness

For many women with POI, trouble getting pregnant or infertility is the reason they go to their health care provider”.12

POI Video

Is there a POI video?

The British Menopause Society’s BMS TV include Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) Explained – A British Menopause Society Video.

“Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)

Mike Savvas, Consultant Gynaecologist, King’s College Hospital, and Member of the British Menopause Society medical advisory council answers these FAQs: What is POI? How is POI diagnosed? What are the health implications of POI? How do patients with POI present? How is POI treated? Should I take HRT? Can I still get pregnant if I have POI? What are my fertility chances if I have POI? Is HRT contraceptive?”13

Health Care Provider

What if I think I have POI?

If you think you have POI it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this.

In Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: How Is POI Treated? the (United States) Hormone Health Network elaborate on:

“Treatment depends on whether you have symptoms or are at risk for serious health problems. Hormone therapy (HT) is the most common treatment. HT combines estrogen and progesterone, another sex hormone. HT relieves menopausal symptoms and also helps prevent osteoporosis. HT can be taken as a pill or applied to your skin as a patch. Vaginal rings can also supply estrogen to the body”.14

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics related to Premature Ovarian Insufficiency?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

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Links

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Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Primary Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Symptoms – When To See A Doctor. 22 October 2019. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/premature-ovarian-failure/symptoms-causes/syc-20354683 Accessed: 14 September 2020
  2. World Menopause Day: World Menopause Day 2020. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/world_menopause_day.php?year=2020 Accessed: 14 September 2020
  3. What Is POI: Premature Ovarian Insufficiency. Daisy Network https://www.daisynetwork.org.uk/about-poi/what-is-poi/ Accessed: 14 September 2020
  4. Menopause: Who Experiences Menopause? Last Updated: September 2016. Hormone Health Network https://www.hormone.org/diseases-and-conditions/womens-health/menopause Accessed: 14 September 2020
  5. Spontaneous Premature Ovarian Insufficiency: Definitions and Epidemiology. Content Updated: 31 August 2015. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/information-sheets/742-spontaneous-premature-ovarian-insufficiency Accessed: 14 September 2020
  6. Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI): Condition Information – What Is POI? Last Reviewed Date: 12/1/2016. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/poi/conditioninfo/pages/default.aspx Accessed: 14 September 2020
  7. Primary Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Symptoms – When To See A Doctor. 22 October 2019. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/premature-ovarian-failure/symptoms-causes/syc-20354683 Accessed: 14 September 2020
  8. Menopause Before 40 and Spontaneous Premature Ovarian Insufficiency. Content Updated: November 2018. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/health-info/fact-sheets/menopause-before-40-and-spontaneous-poi Accessed: 14 September 2020
  9. Premature & Early Menopause: Terminology. Last Updated: 14 January 2020. Last Reviewed: 17 December 2017. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/premature-early-menopause Accessed: 14 September 2020
  10. Menopause Before 40 and Spontaneous Premature Ovarian Insufficiency. Content Updated: November 2018. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/health-info/fact-sheets/menopause-before-40-and-spontaneous-poi Accessed: 14 September 2020
  11. Premature Ovarian Failure: How Common Is Premature Ovarian Failure. Last Reviewed: February 2018. You and Your Hormones, An Education Resource From the Society for Endocrinology https://www.yourhormones.info/endocrine-conditions/premature-ovarian-failure/ Accessed: 14 September 2020
  12. Primary Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Summary – What Is Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)? What Are the Symptoms of Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)? Page Last Updated on: 30 April 2020. Topic Last Reviewed: 16 June 2016. MedlinePlus https://medlineplus.gov/primaryovarianinsufficiency.html Accessed: 14 September 2020
  13. BMS TV: Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI). British Menopause Society https://thebms.org.uk/publications/videos/bms-tv/ Accessed: 14 September 2020
  14. Primary Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: How Is POI Treated? Last Updated: August 2018. Hormone Health Network https://www.hormone.org/diseases-and-conditions/primary-ovarian-insufficiency Accessed: 14 September 2020

Topic Last Updated: 14 September 2020 – Topic Last Reviewed: 14 September 2020
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