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Teen Menopause

Menopause is a normal, natural part of the aging process for all women. It is marked as having occurred once a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period and indicates the cessation of fertility. For most American women menopause occurs in the early 50s. When it occurs prior to a woman reaching her 40th birthday, it is referred to as premature menopause. It is extremely rare for menopause to occur during the teenage years.

  1. Function

    • Females are born with approximately 2 million ovarian follicles. By the time a girl reaches puberty, approximately 300,000 of these follicles remain. As the follicles mature they become egg cells that are released during ovulation. If the egg is not fertilized, the natural menstrual cycle occurs. Not all of the ovarian follicles will mature into egg cells, and once a woman's supply of egg cells is exhausted, menopause sets in marking the end of her fertility. Women in their teenage years are unlikely to exhaust their supply of egg cells, but may still experience premature ovarian failure (POF).

    Significance

    • POF occurs when a woman under the age of 40 loses ovarian function, which can seriously impair her ability to become pregnant. According to Medline Plus, POF used to be referred to as premature menopause, but although the two conditions have similar symptoms there is one important difference. During premature menopause a woman has no more ovarian follicles that may mature into egg cells. A woman with POF may still have follicles, but due to some dysfunction does not release an egg cell each month.

    Time Frame

    • According to the American Pregnancy Association, menopause is considered normal any time after 40 years of age, and most women experience menopause at approximately 51 years of age. Women who experience true menopause prior to age 40 are considered to have experienced premature menopause. The American Pregnancy Association further notes that POF can occur at any time between the onset of puberty and age 40 and affects approximately 1 percent of women between the ages of 30 and 39 years. Approximately one in 1,000 women between ages 15 and 29 years experience POF. The average age when POF is diagnosed is 27 years.

    Considerations

    • Natural menopause is usually the result of the normal aging process, which makes it extremely rare among teenagers. Other factors that may result in teenage menopause include surgical or chemically induced menopause. A complete hysterectomy in which both ovaries are surgically removed will eliminate all ovarian follicles and immediately result in menopause. According to Home Health UK, some forms of cervical cancer may be treated with radiotherapy or chemotherapy that can destroy the patients ovarian follicles, resulting in menopause.

    Warning

    • The symptoms of premature menopause and POF are quite similar and may include irregular periods, hot flashes, irritability, night sweats and vaginal dryness. These symptoms are not normal for teenage girls and may indicate a serious underlying cause. Teenage girls experiencing these symptoms should consult with their health care providers in regard to diagnosis and treatment.

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