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Primary Ovarian Insufficiency Goes Undiagnosed in Teenagers.

  • August 24, 2024
  • Doctor Lawrence

At 19 years old, Vienna was diagnosed with Primary Ovarian insufficiency (POI) — a condition that affects 1% of women between 15-44. POI causes the ovaries to stop working normally before the age of 40, producing similar symptoms to early menopause. 

While POI is not menopause, it’s often confused with it because of the similarity in symptoms, such as; a lack of menstruation, hot flashes, night sweats, and infertility…

Primary Ovarian Insufficiency goes undiagnosed in teenagers. A leading researcher calls for more awareness

Author: Zena Chamas

Source: ABC Australia

Published: 24 August 2024

Vienna sat quietly holding back tears as her mother Belinda spoke at a parliamentary inquiry into menopause and perimenopause.

She rubbed her mother’s back in a show of support as Belinda shared the toll a rare condition had taken on her daughter.

At 19 years old, Vienna was diagnosed with Primary Ovarian insufficiency (POI) — a condition that affects 1 per cent of women between 15-44.

POI causes the ovaries to stop working normally before the age of 40, producing similar symptoms to early menopause. 

While POI, also known as Premature Ovarian Insufficiency, is not menopause, it’s often confused with it because of the similarity in symptoms, such as; a lack of menstruation, hot flashes, night sweats, and infertility.

After many years of not knowing what was wrong, Vienna received a late diagnosis of POI a year ago which has impacted her plans to conceive a child naturally, causing her and her mother distress and uncertainty. 

Early diagnosis is crucial for women who want to become pregnant through in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

With POI, the ovaries eventually stop working, making it difficult to get pregnant naturally, most women with the condition would need the assistance of donor eggs.

It’s estimated only 5 per cent of people with the condition can conceive using their own eggs, and carry a pregnancy, according to the Australian Journal of General Practice.

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