Editorial: New Hopes for the Treatment of Primary Ovarian Insufficiency/ Premature Ovarian Failure

Primary ovarian insufficiency or premature ovarian failure (poi/pof) is one the causes of female infertility. poi is defined as cessation of menstrual periods, increased levels of fsh and diminished levels of estrogens before the age of 40. poi occurs in about 1% of women between 30 to 40 years of age, 0.1% of those under 30 and 0.01% of women under the age of 20. fertility of women with poi is severely diminished, but unlike menopause, poi may be accompanied with spontaneous ovarian activity and natural pregnancies. the major causes of poi include autoimmunity, genetic and environmental factors. at the same increased prevalence of gynecological and other cancers, improvement in the treatment procedures has led to better survival rates but increased incidence of poi in women during reproductive age during the past few decades (1)