If you are trying to get pregnant but haven’t had any luck for several months or a year, have you been tested for Premature Ovarian Failure?
Premature Ovarian Failure affects approximately 1%-4% of the female population. This means that anywhere from 250,000 to 1 million women in the United States alone have this condition.
Premature Ovarian Failure is a cause of infertility.
What is Premature Ovarian Failure?
Premature Ovarian Failure, or POF, is a term used for the condition in which women under the age of 40 have stopped having monthly menstrual periods, and also have high Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) along with low estrogen levels.
Normally, women are born with one to two million eggs in their ovaries. This is more than enough eggs to keep them ovulating and having a menstrual period every month until menopause, which usually occurs at around the age of 50.
In women with Premature Ovarian Failure, something happens to that supply of eggs in the ovaries at a young age.
About 50% of the young women with Primary Ovarian Failure will have some eggs and follicles still in the ovaries. In some cases, these women are able to ovulate and get pregnant once the condition has been diagnosed and treated.
Due to this, some doctors prefer to call this condition Primary Ovarian Insufficiency since there is not a total ovarian failure or menopausal situation in these particular women.
How is Premature Ovarian Failure Diagnosed?
The diagnosis of Premature Ovarian Failure or Primary Ovarian Insufficiency is made with Follicle Stimulating Hormone level testing. This is usually accompanied by AMH testing.
AMH stands for Anti-Mullerian Hormone. This hormone is produced in the small ovarian follicles, and the supply of this pool of growing follicles is much influenced by the size of the remaining pool of follicles. So, finding out the AMH level is a good indicator of the remaining egg supply.
Each follicle contains an egg, so by measuring and counting these ovarian follicles, doctors can determine approximately how many eggs a woman has in her ovaries.
Low counts of AMH indicate a low egg supply.
If you are too young to be menopausal but experience hot flashes or any of the other symptoms of menopause, this could be an indication of Premature Ovarian Failure.
You should see your doctor right away, especially if you are trying to get pregnant!
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