What is ovarian failure? The reason why Amouranth will back out of boxing championship

Popular Twitch streamer Amouranth has been forced to pull out of La Velada Del Año 3, a boxing event in Madrid in Spain, after revealing that she has been diagnosed with “late stage” ovarian failure.

Amouranth, real name Kaitlyn Siragusa, officially became Twitch’s most viewed female streamer in March 2021, holding onto the title for the rest of the year and the whole of 2022. After starting streaming in 2016, the American has become known primarily for her gaming content, ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) videos and hot tub streams, in which she would engage in lengthy discussions with viewers from her jacuzzi.

On Monday, however, she took to Twitter to publicly reveal that she was diagnosed with “late stage ovarian failure” in March, having “noticed a lot of confusing changes that had no obvious explanations” both physically and mentally “over the last year” prior to that.

What is ovarian failure?

There are two different types of ovarian failure (also called ovarian insufficiency). Primary ovarian failure means the ovaries don’t function normally, perhaps because they’ve been surgically removed or affected by some cancer treatments and certain diseases or genetic conditions.

In secondary ovarian failure, hormone signals from the ovaries don’t reach the brain, although there is nothing wrong with the ovaries themselves. Diseases of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus are the most common causes, although it can also occur as a result of eating disorders, too much exercise and some medications.

Ovarian failure symptoms

Women who have been diagnosed with ovarian failure typically don’t have periods beyond the age of 40 and can have fertility problems, as well as suffering from symptoms similar to menopause, including hot flashes, night sweats, dry eyes and irritability.

Amouranth warned against boxing by medics

In her thread on Twitter, Amouranth revealed that her “case is accelerated” and that she would be “undergoing daily injections for 7-14 days” during which she would potentially suffer from headaches, nausea and aches. She said she had been “warned against ‘high impact’ physical activities” while she was being treated, with the “potential for extreme injury or death” due “a heightened chance of the ovaries torsioning/twisting while undergoing the treatment and doing extreme physical activity”.

The streamer signed off by saying that she was “incredibly upset” and apologising for “letting people down” but that she hoped to have “the opportunity to get back in ring next year if everything goes well”.