The impact of treatment

TLDR: Mary Birdsall provides a comprehensive account of chis procedure and the screening of recipients and donors and offers hope to many relatively young women who wish to conceive but find they are infertile because of menopause.

Abstract: P remature ovarian failure is defined as gonadal failure before the age of 40 and it is a common condition, affecting I per cent of women I. Tragically, the diagnosis is often delayed and women affected may experience amenorrhoea for several years without receiving medical help. Sub-optimal peak bone mass may result in young women. Chromosomal analysis is needed in those under 30 years of age because of the risk of germ cell tumour. A recent development is the possibility of pregnancy using egg donation, the success rate varying between 25 and 40 per cent depending on the age of the donor. Mary Birdsall ,provides a comprehensive account of chis procedure and the screening of recipients and donors. This important innovation offers hope to many relatively young women who wish to conceive but find they are infertile because of menopause. The ethics of ovum donation will be discussed in a later issue. The best predictor of fracture risk is bone mineral density measurement at sites such as the femoral neck, radius and lumbar spine. This test should be available to general practitioners to