How many months is the standard for irregular menstrual cycles?

Hi Bashful and thanks for your question.

First, some basics. Your period, or menstruation, is a normal part of a woman’s reproductive cycle. Each month chemical messengers known as hormones instruct the lining of a woman’s vagina or womb to thicken as part of the preparation for a fertilized egg to implant as an embryo.

If no egg is fertilized, at the end of the monthly cycle the lining of the womb breaks free and exits the body in a flow of blood known as the period.

A menstrual cycle is counted from the first day of one period to the first day of the next. The average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, but can vary between 21 and 35 days for adult women and 21 to 45 days in teenage girls.

Going without a period for as long as you have is not normal. There is a name for this, Amenorrhea, which means absent periods or absent menses. There are many reasons for this, and you can read about them here.

At your age, you are not likely to be menopausal, and you're sure you're not pregnant, so it would be important to see your doctor for an examination to determine what is causing you to not have periods. Will you let us know what you learn? It could help other women.

Does this help? Hope you have answers from your doctor soon.

Best,

Pat