Incidence of Premature Menopause

About 1-3% of women will experience menopause before the age 40 years. Premature ovarian failure accounts for about 10% of amenorrhoea and 1% of all cases of infertility.

Causes of Premature Menopause

In the majority of cases no cause can be found. However, some of the known causes include:

1. Congenital, if the ovaries failed to develop and are absent from birth.

2. Chromosomal abnormalities, such as Turner's syndrome, where the ovaries contain only a few follicles.

3. Genetic, as some women's ovaries run out of eggs long before their middle age. This is possibly due to an increased rate of disappearance of follicles. The incidence of familial premature ovarian failure (POF) varies from 4% to 30%. The risk of a female relative developing POF may be as high as 100% in familial POF and as low as 1% in sporadic cases.

4. Ovarian antibodies, where antibodies act against the ovaries.

5. The ovaries are physically damaged by infections, such as the mumps, or by cancer treatment, such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy. This later group is increasing in number because of the longer survival of cancer patients due to advances in both diagnostic modalities and treatment available.

6. The ovaries were surgically removed because of cancer or other causes.

What fertility options are available for women with PMM?

The word menopause refers to the last menstrual bleed. The term premature menopause (premature ovarian failure) is defined as the occurrence of menopause before the age 40. Menopause does not usually occur until a woman has reached her late fourties or early fifties. Premature ovarian failure can present at varying ages and in many forms. If premature menopause happens before puberty, the woman will present with lack of sexual developments and her periods will not started. If the condition presents after puberty, the woman will suffer from amenorrhoea and infertility. The diagnosis of premature menopause can be a shattering experience to the women and her family.

Since the woman's estrogen production is low, hormone replacement treatment is prescribed to put the brakes on the premature ageing effects of menopause.