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Hi Joanna,
Thanks for your question! Many women have irregular periods, and can even miss 1 or 2 periods without having a diagnosable medical condition (ie, missing a period could be stress-related).

However, once a woman (who is not pregnant and not entering peri-menopause in her 40s) has missed 3 or more periods in-a-row, this becomes a condition known as amenorrhea (just a fancy term for "loss of period). Amenorrhea can be caused by many factors, all of which need to be examined by a medical doctor to rule out such things as you mentioned (cancer for one). Amenorrhea can be caused by uterine fibroids that are not cancerous, but may need to be treated.

There are many options for women who do not have insurance, as when I did not have maternity health insurance, I was able to pay a "self-pay" amount that was more than 50% reduced. There are sliding-scale fees, as well as other options for payment.

Do you have a regular doctor that you can at least CALL and talk with the nurse (who has your medical history), and ask to be seen for an examination? This would be just an office visit, and you can ask about the sliding-scale and/or self-pay option. At that time, you can discuss testing options..but please call your doctor's nurse (or, go to a walk-in clinic).

Amenorrhea is something you want to discover the cause behind, as prevention is much less expensive than if you wait and discover another problem.

October 27, 2011 - 9:02am

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