What are the causes of hypogonadism?
• Primary Hypogonadism: Doctors use this term when the ovaries are not working. This happens with conditions like Turner Syndrome, gonadal dysgenesis, and galactosemia. This can also happen if the ovaries are damaged by treatments for cancers (e.g., radiation treatment), or by abnormal function of the immune system. • Secondary Hypogonadism: Doctors use this term when there is a problem with the hypothalamus or pituitary gland. This can happen if these parts of the brain did not form as they should have before you were born. This can also happen if the brain is damaged by treatment for cancers (i.e. removal of a tumor or radiation treatment). How will your doctor decide if your ovaries are not working as they should? Doctors look for the normal signs of puberty to decide if your ovaries are working as they should. Puberty is the process that occurs to make a girl into a woman. The normal age for the start of puberty in girls is between 8 and 14 years old. The signs caused by estrogen i
