Yes, that is possible. This is because every woman is born with a fixed reserve of eggs in each ovary from birth. This starts at about 2 million eggs at birth and will gradually decrease over time. The egg reserve will be at about 300,000-500,000 eggs by the time puberty starts, before dropping to about 30,000 in her 30s.
Women are unable to increase their egg reserve as the egg quantity and quality decrease with time. There are some influences and variations based on genetics and family history, but, by and large, the average age of menopause (when the egg reserve is exhausted) is at about 50-51 years of age.
There are certain conditions, though, that will deplete or diminish the ovarian reserve of women. Any condition that increases inflammation or subjects the ovaries to damage will affect the ovarian reserve, for example:
- Endometriosis
- Surgery on the ovaries that can damage them
- Cancer treatment (chemotherapy or radiation)
- Autoimmune conditions such as lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis and their treatments will affect the ovarian function
- Smoking has been shown to cause earlier onset of menopause, presumably via the toxic chemicals present.
