Hope or hype for women with ovarian failure

As a fertility specialist, one of the most devastating diagnosis I can deliver to a patient is that she has ovarian insufficiency or ovarian failure, essentially meaning that she in premature menopause.  While these women are usually able to bear children with the use of donor eggs, the chances for pregnancy with their own eggs are extremely low. As highlighted in a recent issue of Time magazine, researchers at Stanford have attempted to reinvigorate their ovaries using a procedure called In Vitro Activation (IVA) . Of the 27 couples in trial, 2 actually became pregnant. While the odds for pregnancy were quite low, this represents a glimmer of hope for women with ovarian insufficiency.