What do the investigators know already? Many women suffer loss of periods (amenorrhoea). One of the most common causes of period loss is called 'functional hypothalamic amenorrhea' (FHA). FHA is difficult to diagnose and may be mistaken for other conditions causing period loss, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). This could cause delays in starting the correct treatment. What is the justification for doing this study? Undiagnosed women with FHA are predisposed to complications related to low oestrogen levels, such as osteoporosis, bone fractures and infertility. The failure to accurately identify women with FHA and mislabel those women with FHA as having PCOS, may delay appropriate treatment. Treatment delay causes harm for affected women, including bone fractures and infertility. What do the investigators propose? Improve the diagnosis of women with FHA by composing an assessment score, which could be used by women to improve the accuracy of diagnosing FHA. The investigators designed a questionnaire based on literature search, which can be used to identify women with FHA. A questionnaire-based study (on-line or in person) will be performed to identify risk of FHA, in women referred to hospital with period loss.
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Frequency of clinical features in women with Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea
Timeframe: 3 years