POI stands for primary ovarian insufficiency

POI is sometimes called “premature ovarian failure” or “POF.” This is  an old term, which isn’t very accurate, but some people still use it.

In POI, the ovaries produce less estrogen—the lower estrogen levels can lead to early menopause

Low Estrogen
Estrogen is made in the ovaries. In POI, less estrogen is made, which results in low estrogen levels in the body.
Infrequent Periods
Estrogen is an important hormone. When levels are low, it  can lead to symptoms, such as irregular periods or no periods at all.
Early Menopause
Menopause is when a woman stops having periods. It’s a normal part of life for anyone with ovaries and typically starts in a woman’s early 50s. In POI, menopause starts before age 40.

POI is not very common—about 1 out of 100 people under 40 with ovaries are affected

Since POI is rare, many healthcare providers  may not know how to diagnose or treat it.

Helpful links: Read and share these publications with your doctor to help you both better understand POI:

doi: 10.1038/s41572-024-00547-5
doi: 10.1056/NEJMcp2116488

Hear from us

Please complete the fields and we’ll be in touch with updates as we grow this site

EmailCountry

I am a (check all that apply)

PatientCaregiverResearcherHealthcare ProviderBy checking this box, I am indicating that I would like to be contacted about future website updates and events of the MGH-Harvard Center for Reproductive Medicine.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

What is Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)?

POI stands for primary ovarian insufficiency

In POI, the ovaries produce less estrogen—the lower estrogen levels can lead to early menopause

Low Estrogen

Infrequent Periods

Early Menopause

POI is not very common—about 1 out of 100 people under 40 with ovaries are affected

Since POI is rare, many healthcare providers may not know how to diagnose or treat it.

Hear from us

Since POI is rare, many healthcare providers  may not know how to diagnose or treat it.