Early menopause is often called premature menopause because the symptoms occur before the usual age a woman begins menopause. Early menopause symptoms can be caused by many different things. One of the main causes is premature ovarian failure.
Premature ovarian failure is when the normal function of the ovaries stops in a woman younger than 40 years old. When a woman goes through normal menopause she will never have another period. However, in premature ovarian failure you may still experience erratic periods. Also when a woman goes through menopause she cannot get pregnant. In premature ovarian failure your chances of getting pregnant are reduced but is still possible.