Jess Impiazzi has revealed that she's facing early menopause, with her saying that she cried for a few days after she received the diagnosis recently.
The reality TV star, 34, said that her symptoms began around three years ago with irregular periods but she's since experienced other signs such as night sweats and "brain fog".
She's said that the diagnosis came after she paid to attend a private clinic, following numerous appointments with GPs about the symptoms that she was experiencing.
Jess - best known for appearing on shows like Celebrity Big Brother - said she is now looking to have a baby with her partner Jermaine Pennant, 40, sooner than expected.
Jess spoke about her diagnosis with the Sun recently. She told the outlet that being told she's unlikely to conceive has been "heartbreaking" as she wants to have children.
She said that her and Jermaine - who has a 12-year-old son from a previous relationship - thought they had "more time" to have kids as they've been together less than two years.
Discussing her experience, Jess said she had numerous appointments with GPs over a three year period. She said her symptoms were at times attributed to stress.
Jess said she "kept going back to the doctors" and suspected that the issue was "something hormonal" despite it having been suggested to her that it could be stress-related.
She commented: "If I'd known what was wrong three years ago I'd have made different choices. I could have had my eggs frozen, but that's [been] taken away from me."
The Ex on the Beach alum said that she more recently decided to go to a private clinic, which is said to specialise in fertility and hormonal problems.
The outlet reports that within a week she was diagnosed with endometriosis on her bowels and primary ovarian insufficiency. The latter is understood to mean that the follicles on the ovaries, which produce eggs, aren't functioning as expected.
It's said to mean that Jess' chances of conceiving are reduced, with her commenting that she "cried solidly" for around two days after being told the news recently.
The outlet reports that Jess was told she would have less than a year to conceive, with the couple said to have attempted to get pregnant before deciding to attempt IVF. They're said to be awaiting results of initial tests.
According to the Sun, Jess has been warned that her odds are "dramatically reduced" as the process is usually carried out on five to eight eggs, whereas she can only produce three.
Jess said she hopes to start IVF with her own eggs but will look for egg donors if necessary.
Jess - who said she may be on medication for the rest of her life to prevent "associated illnesses" - told the outlet that she's discussing her experience to help others.
She said: "I hope by talking about what happened to me I can encourage women to stick to their guns and demand to be heard if they feel they are not being taken seriously."
You can find out more about the early menopause through the NHS.
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