For middle age women struggling with infertility, experiencing early menopause is a game changer, and not for the good. Once early menopause or normal menopause begins, a woman no longer releases viable eggs regularly for fertilization and doesn’t produce enough of the hormones necessary to prepare the uterine lining for an embryo to implant for pregnancy.

Typically, most women do not even begin to think about menopause until reaching age 40, but for some women, this may be a point at which menopause has already occurred. These cases are referred to as early menopause, which may be the result of certain medical procedures or a naturally occurring process.

Also known as premature menopause or premature ovarian failure, early menopause can come as a big, unwelcome surprise for women trying to get pregnant. According to Resolve, the national infertility organization, 1 in 100 women under 40 will experience premature ovarian failure. But there still may be options for motherhood.

Possible causes

If a woman has had surgery to remove the uterus or ovaries—typically as the result of reproductive cancers—she may begin menopause early or have some early symptoms that mimic those of menopause. Other cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and pelvic radiation may also lead to early menopause.

In those cases, early menopause is somewhat expected, so women desiring to have children may be able to work out some fertility preservation options. Chromosomal defects and autoimmune diseases may bring on early menopause as more of a surprise, leaving women to cope with more emotional difficulties as a result. Sometimes early menopause is simply the result of genetics, occurring over several generations of women in the same family.

Signs, symptoms & concerns

The symptoms of early menopause are not significantly different from those experienced by women who reach menopause at a normal age. Because they were not prepared for these effects so soon, women going through early menopause may have more trouble coping with characteristic menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, sleep problems and vaginal dryness.

Early menopause suddenly disrupts a woman’s family planning, which creates a lot of stress. And for women whose early menopause is idiopathic, or of unknown cause, the worry and anxiety are particularly difficult.

Fertility issues

When early menopause in unexpected, there may still be possibilities for conception through the use of preserved eggs or embryos or donor eggs and surrogate services. A fertility specialist can walk you through all of the options so that you are still able to start a family on your own terms.

For the emotional and physical support you need to cope with early menopause, contact Arizona Reproductive Medicine Specialists online or at (602) 351-5327. We offer a number of successful, proven treatments that can create new opportunities for you to start a family when unexpected medical factors get in the way.