Premature & Early Menopause

Summary. When menopause occurs before the age of 45 it is considered early (40-45) or premature (prior to 40). Early & Premature menopause may happen on their own or they may be driven by premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), surgically induced menopause, or as a result of medical treatment like chemo. Prior to early & premature menopause women can experience the changes associated with perimenopause. Individuals who suspect or are experiencing early or premature menopause should collaborate with their doctors to get clinical confirmation as well as to potentially develop a plan to mitigate long term health risks associated with early & premature menopause. Estrogen in particular plays an important role in protecting systems across the body healthy including bones, heart, and brain (Macmillan, 2024).

If you're concerned you or a loved one might be going through early or premature menopause, know you're not alone.

Premature Menopause. Estimated to impact 1% of women (Macmillan, 2024). Cessation of menses before the age of 40.

Early Menopause. Estimated to impact 5 of women (Macmillan, 2024). Cessation of menses between ages 40 - 45.

Confirmation. Both premature & early menopause can be confirmed with a doctor typically based off of the lack of a period for 12 months, hormone levels from bloodwork. Doctors will also typically look into potential underlying drivers (Cleveland Clinic)

What's next?

Track	Observe and track changes associated with perimenopause.
Choose your resources & build a plan	Estrogen in particular plays a protective role in a woman's body particularly for bone, heart, and brain health. It is important to understand the long term implications of experiencing drops in your hormone levels both positive and negative as you chose your resources and develop a plan. It may also be helpful to understand potential drivers of premature and early menopause like POI, Surgically Induced Menopause, medical treatment, genetics, autoimmune diseases.
Healthcare Team	Doctor or practitioner. If you suspect early or premature menopause, you should talk to your healthcare professional. The North American Menopause Society provides a searchable directory of doctors who have gone through their certification process for menopause treatment. Mental Health & Counselors. Working with a mental health professional may help ease the emotional burden of this physical change.
Nutrition & Physical Activity.
Pharmaceutical Options.	Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can be prescribed by a doctor to balance the long term side effects in heart, bone, and brain health associated with premature menopause. Your doctor will collaborate with you to build a plan which also takes into account any of your pre-existing risk factors like cancer and pre-existing vascular conditions. (Macmillan, 2024)
Social Support	Seek support from your existing support system or create a new support network based on your shared experiences.
Write down your plan
Activate your plan	Mark your start date so you can track how this plan might impact you. You've done a lot of work to figure out how you want to move forward. Now with what might be both the most challenging and most rewarding step yet, put your plan into action.

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