Also called: Also called: Ovarian insufficiency, POF, Primary ovarian insufficiency
Premature ovarian failure (POF) is when a woman's ovaries stop working before she is 40. POF used to be called premature menopause. However, POF is not the same as menopause. Some women with POF still have occasional periods. Premature menopause is when periods stop before age of 40. This can be natural or caused by surgery, chemotherapy or radiation.
Missed periods are usually the first sign of POF. Later symptoms may be similar to those of natural menopause.
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.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
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Do I Have Premature Ovarian Failure?
(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/pof/
Also available in Spanish http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/upload/tengo_falla_ovarica_prematura.pdf -
Premature Ovarian Failure(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Premature_Ovarian_Failure.cfm
- Premature Ovarian Failure(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/premature-ovarian-failure/DS00843/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
- Estrogen Tests(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/estrogen/test.html
- FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone) Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/fsh/test.html
- LH (Luteinizing Hormone) Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/lh/test.html
- Premature Ovarian Failure: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions(International Premature Ovarian Failure Association) - http://www.pofsupport.org/information/faq/faqanswers.htm
- Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) and Fragile X(National Fragile X Foundation) - http://www.nfxf.org/html/poi.htm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Ovarian Failure, Premature(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Ovarian+Failure,+Premature%22
- Article: Preservation of menstrual function in adolescent and young females. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18574230&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity in ovarian failure: overview of selected... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18574220&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Premature ovarian "failure" in the adolescent. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18574219&tool=MedlinePlus
- Premature Ovarian Failure -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=ovarian+failure,premature[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- ovarian hypofunction - http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v:project=medlineplus&binning-state=group%3d%3dMedical%20Encyclopedia&query=ovarian+hypofunction
- AACE Physician Finder(American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists) - http://www.aace.com/resources/memsearch.php
- ACOG's Physician Directory(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - http://www.acog.org/member-lookup/disclaimer.cfm
- Find an Endocrinologist(Hormone Foundation) - http://www.hormone.org/findanendo/
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National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/
- North American Menopause Society - http://www.menopause.org/
- Premature Ovarian Failure: A Guide for Teens(Children's Hospital Boston) - http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/pof.html
- Menopause - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/menopause.html
- Menstruation - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/menstruation.html
- Endocrine System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/endocrinesystem.html
- Female Reproductive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/femalereproductivesystem.html
- Pregnancy and Reproduction - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pregnancyandreproduction.html
- Women - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/women.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Premature Ovarian Failure is the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/