Premature Ovarian Insufficiency
Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)
More than 1 in 100 women will experience Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) before the age of 40 years, 1 in 1000 before the age of 30 and 1 in 10,000 before the age of 20.
It is strongly recommended that these women have hormone replacement therapy (to levels that would normally be produced by the ovaries) to control symptoms, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis, as well as to maintain sexual and brain function. HRT should be continued till at least to the average natural age of menopause (51). Menopausal symptoms experienced by women with POI may vary in intensity due to fluctuation in ovarian activity. There may be a 5 – 10% chance of getting pregnant, so contraception is advised if a pregnancy is not desired. The combined contraceptive pill would be a suitable option for hormone replacement for younger women.HRT may have slightly better bone and heart protection and research is ongoing (POISE Study)