Molly Whale is a third year medical student who recently spent some time in a fertility clinic as part of a student selected component. Molly reflects on what she found.
Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) occurs when the ovaries no longer work effectively in women under the age of 40. Different terms are used interchangeably for POI, such as ‘premature menopause’ and ‘primary ovarian failure’. It is a fairly common condition, affecting around 1% of people and can sometimes be a cause of fertility problems.