Premature Ovarian Failure

Pronunciation

Definition 1

A condition in which the ovaries stop working and menstrual periods stop before age 40. Natural menopause usually occurs around age 50. A woman is said to be in menopause when she hasn’t had a period for 12 months in a row. Symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, vaginal dryness, trouble concentrating, and infertility. Premature ovarian failure can be caused by some cancer treatments, surgery to remove the ovaries, and certain diseases or genetic conditions. Also called early menopause, premature menopause, and primary ovarian insufficiency. (NCI Dictionary)

Definition 2

A loss of ovarian function in women under 40. (NCI Thesaurus)

Definition 3

A condition in which the ovaries stop working before age 40. Symptoms include hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and infertility. Some cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery can cause premature ovarian failure. Ovarian failure caused by cancer treatment may be temporary or permanent and may be treated with hormone replacement therapy. Also called primary ovarian insufficiency or early menopause. (NCI Dictionary)

More information

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is when a woman's ovaries stop working before she is 40.

POF 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 POF, some women still have occasional periods. They may even get pregnant. In most cases of POF, the cause is unknown.

Missed periods are usually the first sign of POF. 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

Doctors diagnose POF by doing a physical exam and lab and imaging tests.

Most women with POF cannot get pregnant naturally. Fertility treatments help a few women; others use donor eggs to have children. There is no treatment that will restore normal ovarian function. However, many health care providers suggest taking hormones until age 50. (NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)