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Hello babygirl18,

Welcome to the EmpowHER community. Thank you for coming to us for guidance.

When did you first start menstruating? Have you ever had a normal period? For how many days does this occur?

Amenorrhea is the medical term which describes the absence of periods.

There are two types of amenorrhea: primary amenorrhea and secondary amenorrhea. Primary amenorrhea is when a young woman has not had her first period by the age of 16. Secondary amenorrhea is when a woman who has had normal menstrual cycles stops getting her monthly period for three or more months.

I suggest you begin by scheduling an appointment for a physical exam. Your physician can determine if indeed you are experiencing amenorrhea and whether it is primary or secondary.

The medical term used to describe "absence of periods" is amenorrhea. Women normally do not menstruate before puberty, during pregnancy, and after menopause. If a woman does not get her period when she normally should, it may be the symptom of a treatable medical condition.

There are two types of amenorrhea: primary amenorrhea and secondary amenorrhea. Primary amenorrhea is when a young woman has not had her first period by the age of 16. Secondary amenorrhea is when a woman who has had normal menstrual cycles stops getting her monthly period for three or more months.

Amenorrhea can be caused by any number of changes in the organs, glands, and hormones involved in menstruation.

Possible causes of primary amenorrhea (when a woman never gets her first period) include:

Failure of the ovaries (female sex organs that hold eggs)
Problems in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) or the pituitary gland (a gland in the brain that makes hormones involved in menstruation)
Poorly formed reproductive organs

In many cases, the cause of primary amenorrhea is not known. Although, an ovarian failure, issues with the pituitary gland, which makes hormones involved in menstruation and poorly formed reproductive organs are causes of primary amenorrhea.

Stress, poor nutrition, depression, extreme weight loss, certain medications, over-exercising, ongoing illness, sudden weight gain or being very overweight, a hormonal imbalance due to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and thyroid gland disorders can cause secondary amenorrhea.

Please keep us updated.
Maryann

January 9, 2015 - 9:13am

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