Surprise upon discovering the disease
After more than a year and a half of marriage and not using any contraception but still not pregnant, Ms. L.T.T, 30 years old, Quang Ninh decided to seek an infertility specialist doctor to check her reproductive health.
During the first examination, Ms. T still maintained a fairly comfortable mentality. She believes that she is still young, so the delay in having children may just be a matter of time. "I think just be patient for a while longer and there will be good news," Ms. T shared.
However, the examination results made the young woman almost speechless.
Tests assessing fertility showed that her AMH index was only 0.1 ng/mL, much lower than the normal threshold of 2 - 6.8 ng/mL. Meanwhile, the FSH index increased to 38.5 mIU/mL, showing that the ovaries were seriously declining in function. In particular, the vaginal catheter ultrasound did not record ovarian cysts in both ovaries.
According to Dr. Trinh Thi Hien, Center for Reproductive Support, An Viet General Hospital, these are typical signs of severe ovarian retention reduction, towards early ovarian failure diagnosis.
In this case, the chance of conceiving with autologous eggs is very difficult. Patients need to be consulted and receive assisted reproductive treatment as soon as possible to take advantage of the remaining opportunities," said Dr. Hien.
Youth does not mean good fertility
Many people still believe that ovarian failure only appears in women after 40 or in the pre-menopause stage. However, clinical practice shows that this condition can completely occur in women under 35 years old, even in people just over 20 years old.
What is worrying is that ovarian reserve reduction often progresses silently. Many women still have regular menstruation, without any abnormal symptoms, so they do not suspect that their fertility is declining.
There are many cases where the disease is only detected when going for examination because of late childbirth or repeated failures in the journey to find the baby.
Dr. Trinh Thi Hien said that premature ovarian failure is a condition in which the ovaries stop working before the age of 40, due to many causes such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, autoimmune diseases, viral infections, genetic disorders or unknown causes.
Normally, the ovaries produce estrogen and progesterone, which help regulate menstruation and reproduction; the number of follicles gradually decreases over time until they are depleted, causing menopause, at different times in each person.
When premature ovarian failure occurs, the ovaries reduce or stop ovulation and hormone reduction, causing difficulty conceiving and affecting physical and mental health.
Do not wait too long when you are late to have children
Dr. Trinh Thi Hien recommends that women under 35 years old should go for infertility examination if they have regular sex and do not use contraception within 12 months but are not pregnant.
For women aged 35 and over, the waiting time should only last about 6 months before going to a specialized facility for evaluation and consultation.
People with irregular menstruation, who have had ovarian surgery, endometriosis, or have relatives with premature menopause should proactively check their reproductive health earlier.
BSCK Trinh Thi Hien emphasized that youth is not always a "guaranteed ticket" for fertility.
There are women over 30 years old who still have very good ovarian reserves. But there are also cases of severe decline even when very young. Therefore, proactively assessing reproductive health is extremely important," the doctor said.
