Premature menopause is a condition when a person stops getting periods before the age of 40. If you experience premature menopause, you may also have perimenopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, irritability, and sleep disturbances. The condition may affect your ovarian function, including the ability to conceive a pregnancy.
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Premature menopause is a term that describes when a person goes through menopause before age 40. It's similar to early menopause, which is when menopause occurs before the age of 45.
You may hear premature menopause referred to interchangeably with several terms, including early menopause, premature ovarian failure (POF), and primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). However, these terms may mean slightly different things.
Most people reach menopause in their late 40s to early 50s. It follows perimenopause, which is the transitional period occurring in the two to eight years leading up to menopause. You reach menopause when you stop having your period for 12 consecutive months. Consideration for POI is given to those younger than 40 who miss three or more consecutive periods.
Primary ovarian insufficiency, sometimes referred to as premature ovarian failure, is when your ovaries (the glands where your eggs are stored and released) stop functioning. A person with POI may have few or no eggs, so they have a slim chance of conceiving with their own eggs.
Premature menopause is an uncommon condition affecting 1% of menstruating people.
Early menopause affects up to 5% of menstruating people.
It is not always clear why some people experience premature menopause/POI.
Some causes of premature menopause include:
Depending on the cause, POI may develop as early as adolescence. In some cases, the condition may be temporary, and the ovaries may start to work again some years later.
Risk factors for premature menopause include:
People with premature menopause may experience problems with their mental and physical health, such as:
There's no known way to prevent premature menopause/POI, but you can take steps to boost your overall health.
Eating a balanced, whole-food diet, exercising regularly, getting enough calcium and vitamin D, getting adequate sleep (seven to nine hours per night), and not smoking will help protect your bones, brain, and heart — the body systems POI may impact most.
People going through premature menopause may have infrequent/irregular periods or ultimately stop having periods altogether.
You might also experience symptoms of perimenopause, such as:
Symptoms may also include fertility problems. Many people discover that they have POI when they see a doctor because they are having trouble getting pregnant. While it's more difficult to conceive with POI, it's still possible to become pregnant.
If your periods become irregular or stop, your doctor will encourage a physical exam and ask you questions about your general health and symptoms.
You will likely also be asked to undergo a pregnancy test and blood tests.
Through a blood test, your doctor will be able to evaluate your level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This hormone signals your body to ovulate (release an egg) every month during your menstrual cycle.
A blood test may also be used to measure the amount of estradiol (estrogen) in your blood.
If the amount of FSH in your blood is higher than normal for more than one day and/or you have low estrogen levels, you may have primary ovarian insufficiency.
Your doctor may also order blood tests to measure your prolactin levels and thyroid function. Genetic testing may also be considered.
If you have POI, there is currently no treatment to make your ovaries start working properly again; however, this does happen spontaneously for some people with POI.
Instead, the goal of treatment for premature menopause is managing the symptoms and reducing long-term health risks.
Medicine for premature menopause
Hormonal treatments may be used for the symptoms associated with premature menopause and for long-term prevention of:
Birth control pills may be considered for younger women who don't smoke and aren't at increased risk for blood clots.
It isn't impossible to become pregnant if you have POI, but you may not be able to do so using your own eggs. People with POI who want to get pregnant may choose to do so by using donor eggs and undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).
A diagnosis of POI is often difficult for someone wanting to become pregnant, but there are systems of support to help you. If you're experiencing a sense of profound sadness or having thoughts of hurting yourself or someone else as a result of a POI diagnosis, you should talk to your doctor immediately.
Last reviewed by Carla Picardo, MD, MPH on 2024-09-05.
