What is the primary amenorrhea?

DEFINITION. Primary amenorrhea is defined as the absence of menses at age 15 years in the presence of normal growth and secondary sexual characteristics. The identification of primary amenorrhea should always prompt a thorough evaluation to identify a cause [1].

What are causes of primary amenorrhea?

Common causes of primary amenorrhea include:

• Chromosomal or genetic problem with the ovaries (the female sex organs that hold the eggs).
• Hormonal issues stemming from problems with the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland.
• Structural problem with the reproductive organs, such as missing parts of the reproductive system.

What is the difference between primary amenorrhea and secondary amenorrhea?

Amenorrhea can be classified as primary or secondary. In primary amenorrhea, menstrual periods have never begun (by age 16), whereas secondary amenorrhea is defined as the absence of menstrual periods for three consecutive cycles or a time period of more than six months in a woman who was previously menstruating.

How is primary amenorrhea diagnosis?

Initial workup of primary and secondary amenorrhea includes a pregnancy test and serum levels of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, prolactin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone. Patients with primary ovarian insufficiency can maintain unpredictable ovarian function and should not be presumed infertile.

Is Primary amenorrhea rare?

According to the National Institutes of Health , if periods do not start by the age of 16 years, the person should seek medical help. Primary amenorrhea is rare. In the United States, it affects fewer than 0.1 percent of individuals.

How do you fix primary amenorrhea?

Treatment depends on the underlying cause of your amenorrhea. In some cases, birth control pills or other hormone therapies can restart your menstrual cycles. Amenorrhea caused by thyroid or pituitary disorders may be treated with medications.

Is Primary amenorrhea curable?

Primary amenorrhea caused by late puberty usually does not need to be treated. The condition will go away on its own. For primary amenorrhea caused by genetic abnormalities, treatment depends on the problem. For example, if the ovaries are not functioning properly, you may be given supplemental ovarian hormones.

Are you infertile if you have amenorrhea?

The causes of amenorrhea can cause other problems as well. These include: Infertility and problems with pregnancy. If you don’t ovulate and don’t have menstrual periods, you can’t become pregnant.

How do you treat primary amenorrhea?

Can a girl with primary amenorrhea get pregnant?

Primary amenorrhea affects fertility because if you have never experienced menstruation, you are most likely unable to ovulate. A failure to ovulate means that you are not producing viable eggs to be inseminated by your partner’s sperm, so you cannot get pregnant.

Can primary amenorrhea be cured?

Primary amenorrhea that is caused by tumors, weight problems, malnutrition, hormonal issues, reproductive malformation, and some long-term illnesses can be cured once the underlying condition is eliminated.