Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) & premature menopause

Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) or premature menopause is a condition characterised by loss of ovarian function in women before the age of 40 and can have a devastating physical, mental and emotional impact. Women in their 20s and 30s may develop POI which can take many, many months to diagnose.

POI has a prevalence of 1-3% in the population and can be unexpected, confusing and emotionally challenging for many women. Some known risk factors include positive family history, smoking, low body mass index, some autoimmune conditions and medical treatments but often the reason remains unknown.

Unlike natural menopause, POI brings unique health challenges for women such as disrupted menstrual cycles, fertility concerns and sudden menopausal symptoms. There are also long-term health consequences related to increased risk of cardiovascular, metabolic, musculoskeletal, psychological and brain health.

Currently, hormone therapy is considered the gold standard medically to treat oestrogen deficiency and subsequent menopausal symptoms until women reach the usual age of menopause to reduce the long-term risk factors and consequences.

Benefits:

Identify changes, review pathology and medical testing results and fertility preservation options
Lifestyle and nutritional interventions plus existing health condition management
Manage and prioritise personalised symptomatic relief to reduce impact on quality of day-to-day life
Discuss both pharmaceutical and complementary medicine options and address long-term health consequences of POI
Address mood, anxiety, fertility concerns and build resilience and stress management options for compassionate care