How to Cope With Premature Menopause

Premature menopause, also called premature ovarian failure (POF), is generally defined as ovarian failure in a woman less than 40 years old. It occurs in about 1% of the population. Why it happens is poorly understood.

Things You'll Need

• Counseling For Depression

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Instructions

• 1

  Join an online premature menopause support group. Go to a major search engine like Google or Yahoo and type in "premature menopause" and "support." Chat with other young women who are experiencing an early onset menopause.

• 2

  Talk openly and intimately with your significant other. It's not unusual to question your desirability, since a woman's sexuality is tied so closely to her ability to bear children.

• 3

  Consider hormone replacement therapy. Doctors generally urge POF patients to use HRT because they'll have so many postmenopausal years ahead of them. Lifelong use of HRT is appropriate.

• 4

  Seek counseling through university hospital menopause clinics or a mental health professional. POF patients often suffer negative emotions, especially if they had hoped to have children and now can't.

• 5

  Explore the possibility of in vitro fertilization with hormonal support if you feel an overwhelming desire to have a baby. Visit a fertility clinic/specialist and find out more about high-tech pregnancies.

• 6

  Understand that your beauty, lovableness and vibrance are not at all related to your ovarian function.

• 7

  Follow a regular exercise program. Thirty minutes of brisk walking every day causes the body to release a natural morphine-like chemical called endorphins, which give you a sense of well-being.