Here's everything women need to know about early menopause because time is of the essence and your health matters.
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What is early menopause?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, early menopause is when women stop having their period around the age of 40. Menopause usually starts when you are older than 45.
I talked with Kristin Mallon, nurse expert and co-founder of FemGevity (a healthcare company specializing in menopause), and she said early menopause is "also called primary ovarian insufficiency."
Primary ovarian insufficiency vs Secondary
The main difference is that secondary ovarian insufficiency is caused by things that can possibly be reversed.
A study done by the National Institutes of Health successfully showed that women with secondary ovarian insufficiency caused by a lack of androgens, were able to conceive after they had received help to increase their androgens.
If, however your ovaries were removed surgically, this is considered primary ovarian insufficiency, and there is nothing you can do to reverse it.
Early menopause and pregnancy: is it still possible?
Kristin Mallon, RN says "early menopause may be reversible when the cause is due to toxic, exposure or radiation. The body is very good at healing and wants to heal."
This is a positive thing for some women who are still wanting to try for kids as most people, myself including, assume menopause means you can't have kids anymore.
Can a tubal ligation cause early menopause?
Another common misconceptions women have is about tubal ligations causing early menopause.
Kristin Mallon, RN reports that "tubal ligation when done correctly should not cause early menopause because it should not affect the ovaries or the ovarian hormonal production in any way."
Questions to ask your health care provider
- Is my early menopause caused by primary ovarian insufficiency or secondary?
- Should I start hormone therapy?
- Are there lifestyle changes I can make to manage my symptoms?
- Can my early menopause be reversed?
FAQ
It depends on the cause of your early menopause. If you have secondary ovarian insufficiency, you may be able to reverse your early menopause and indeed get pregnant again.
Your OBGYN is probably the first place to go, but if you feel like your symptoms just aren't being managed properly, we recommend FemGevity.
They take a modern approach to menopause so you don't have to be told it's just a part of the process.
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