Uncertainty and negative expectations are common responses to the menopause. When it happens too early (sometimes as young as 16) it can be particularly distressing with concerns about physical health, as well as possible social and emotional consequences. Young women are faced with a condition, the causes of which are not well understood, and about which very little is written in medical or lay literature. In medical texts premature menopause is typically mentioned only in passing, and from the woman's perspective it remains a hidden secret. This can only compound the difficulty for women for whom the life process has suddenly swept into fast forward. Premature menopause can have profound implications both for the woman herself and her partner and family. She is faced with physical and emotional concerns that are usually not considered until much later in life, such as: will she age prematurely? will she need to take long-term medication? will she come to terms with loss of fertility? are there alternative treatments? are there consequences for her future health?
