Am I pregnant? (whatever the circumstances)
My period is irregular. Is this okay?
What about spotting between periods?
I have heavy, painful periods . Should I be concerned?
What is with these big clot things I pass during my period?
I am 14, 15, 16 , 17 years old and have not started my period yet, what should I do?
Is there any way I can postpone my period, bring my period on early, or skip my period?
I cannot help you determine whether or not you are pregnant. A skipped period is a sign of pregnancy, but you can skip a period for other reasons. (see next FAQ) . If you've had unprotected sex or think your birth control method may have failed,. go to the drugstore and buy a home pregnancy test, or go see your doctor, or make an appointment at Planned Parenthood.
By the way, there are forms of emergency contraception that you can get from a doctor which will keep you from becoming pregnant after unprotected sex, or when your method fails. This link will take you directly to a page within the Planned Parenthood web site that will explain how this works.
Some women think that if they do not have a perfect 5 day period every 28 days they are irregular, and there is something wrong with them. "Normal" cycles are between 21 days and 35 days, but I know some women who only have 3 or 4 periods a year. It would be prudent to check with your doctor if your cycle is outside of the 21-35 day range, especially if its less than 21 days. I used to have a 21 day cycle - and I know more frequent periods would have driven me crazy!
Bleeding times between 2 and 7 days are average, and the tempo and consistency of your flow is unique to you, and changable.
All of your cycles may not be the same length. Also, your cycle might change over time. For example, my cycle has lengthened from 21 days, and now comes in two sizes, a 25 day cycle and a 28 day cycle, but never 26 or 27 days. Go figure.
So basically, what is normal for you is regular. The best way to get a grip on this is to begin to chart your cycle, and look for patterns. A cycle is the length of time from the start of one period to the start of your next period. All you have to do to keep track of this is mark the first day you start to bleed on your calendar. You also might want to note if you had cramps, or if the flow was heavy or light.
It is common for a girl just starting her period to be irregular for a year or two, and an older woman's period might start getting wacky as early as 5 to 10 years before menopause.
If you are worried about missed periods, know that it is common to skip a period once in a while. If you are sure you are not pregnant, the missed period could be due to stress, travel, sudden weight gain or weight loss, or increased levels of exercise (missed periods are common in athletes). Your period should straighten out in a month or two. If it does not, see you doctor..
Bleeding in the middle of your cycle could mean different things. Some women bleed a little bit when they ovulate, and that is nothing to worry about. Mid-cycle and post-sex bleeding could also indicate that your cervix is unhappy due to some kind of STD like chlamydia or gonorrhea - or even cervical cancer. So get those Pap smears regularly, and talk to your doctor about mid-cycle bleeding.
Some pain and/or heavy bleeding may not mean anything terrible is going on, BUT on the other hand pain and heavy bleeding could be signs of certain conditions. For instance, heavy bleeding could indicate the presence of fibroids, which are benign tumors of the uterus, or the presence of a pelvic infection. So talk to your doctor.
Another possibility is endometriosis: you should follow this link and read about it some more if you have painful periods, especially when the period is accompanied by other symptoms like nausea or diarrhea.
Before I wrote this FAQ, women had been finding descriptions of clotting in the Experience section of this site, and writing me to express their relief that they are not the only ones who experience this. So let me say to those of you who have been worried about this: you are not dying! You are not alone!
My gynecologist explains clots to me as follows: Blood is pushed out of your uterus when the uterus contracts (you don't necessarily feel these contractions, but when they are strong, you feel them as cramps). The uterus releases "anti-coagulants" during menstruation. These are supposed to keep the blood from clotting up as it passes from the uterus to the vagina, thus making the whole bleeding process easier.
But if you have days of heavy cramps and heavy bleeding, you may pass dark, chunky clots of blood. On such days your contractions are so fast and so strong that the blood gets forced out before the anti-coagulants have time to take effect. So the blood clots. And you pass big chunky gobs of stuff.
If the clots you are passing are larger than, say, a quarter, you might want to ask your doctor about it, because that indicates that your periods are quite heavy, and they might want to check for fibroids (benign tumors).
I am not a doctor. I can't even guess what might be wrong with you. No one, for that matter, should or could diagnose you over the internet. See a doctor or other health practitioner. If you don't trust your doctor 100%, see another. If you don't have medical insurance, try going to a women's clinic, where they often have sliding scale fees. Try Planned Parenthood.
Menarche (the first period) can occur anywhere from 9 to 17 or so. That's a broad time range, and it is always hard to be on either end of the range. Girls who start early are often embarrassed to share it with their friends who haven't started, and keep it secret for years. Girls who start later can feel immature or left out. Basically, it sucks all around. Very athletic girls tend to start late, by the way. But back to the question. If you are well into your 16th year and have not started it is probably time to talk to a doctor just to make sure that everything is okay. The doctor might just send you home to wait some more, but it can't hurt to ask. There is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about.
I only know three possible methods for changing your period. One is for women on the Pill. I've heard that some women fiddle with their dosage to alter their periods. There is apparently an article about this in the July, 1998 issue of Self magazine, which I am looking for. Secondly, I believe there are herbs that may bring on a period. You should consult a trained herbalist or midwife to find out more. And last, there is menstrual extraction, a procedure that sucks out the contents of the uterus. I found some information on this within the Web by Women site - follow this link to go straight to their menstrual extraction page.