As age increases, the decline in body functions is a normal phenomenon, and ovarian decline in women usually begins around the age of 45. When menstruation stops gradually, it means “ovarian failure” has occurred.
However, in recent years, more and more women have been observed in clinical practice to experience ovarian failure before the age of 40 (around 30 to 35 years old), which is known as “premature ovarian insufficiency.” For those who wish to become pregnant, this is not good news.
The symptoms of premature ovarian insufficiency are essentially early menopause and include:
- Menstrual cycles becoming irregular compared to before
- Periods becoming shorter (about every 25 days), then gradually lengthening (every 40–50 days), and eventually disappearing
- Hot flashes
- Decreased menstrual flow
If you are concerned about entering premature ovarian insufficiency (declining egg reserve), you can confirm your current AMH level through a blood test.
What is AMH?
If premature ovarian insufficiency is confirmed and you still want to conceive, it is necessary to act quickly and seek treatment. If there are no immediate pregnancy plans, egg freezing should be considered. Although ovarian function may decline, as long as you are young, egg quality remains good. Be sure to discuss treatment options with your doctor as soon as possible.
Possible causes of premature ovarian insufficiency:
If early decline is occurring, first check whether the following irreversible factors apply:
- Family history of premature ovarian insufficiency
- History of ovarian surgery
- Chromosomal abnormalities, such as fragile X syndrome or translocations
- Ovarian diseases
After undergoing ovarian surgery, you should pay special attention to symptoms of premature decline. Ovarian surgeries such as chocolate cyst removal, dermoid cyst removal, or ovarian cancer surgery may affect normal follicle development. In addition, after tumor removal, egg reserves may decrease. Therefore, after ovarian surgery, it is important to monitor AMH levels and antral follicle count on day 3 of the menstrual cycle.
