Females: Your Period / Question
Published: December 10, 2002
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I'm a girl 5'8; and 145 pounds. I'm 18 years old and haven't had my period in over a year. I do a lot of running and weight lifting but I eat healthy and am not at all underweight. My doctor says that this is okay and that it won't affect my ability to someday have kids. She has even run tests to check for other concerns. Should I still worry?
Signed: No Period Concerns
Dear No Period Concerns,
Not having your period in over a year is not okay. If you were getting your period regularly before, not having it in over a year is your body's way of telling you that something is not right. Body weight is not the only determinant of your ability to menstruate. Your body needs to have at least 15% body fat in order to menstruate. So while your BMI (body mass index) and weight may be normal your active lifestyle may have something to do with your menstrual cycle.
TeenHealthFX cannot evaluate your situation without more information, but we highly encourage you to see a physician and/or gynecologist. You didn't mention what types of tests your doctor ordered, but perhaps you should seek out a second opinion, especially if the first one could not produce any answers for you. If you do not have a doctor, you can contact your local Planned Parenthood, or local teen health center. If you live in Northern New Jersey, you can contact the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at 973-971-6475 for more information.
FX has answered several other period-related questions, do a search of "Amenorrhea" and keywords "no period".
Signed: TeenHealthFX
Teens whose parents talk to them regularly about the dangers of drugs are 42% less likely to use drugs than those whose parents don’t, yet only 1 in 4 teens report having these conversations. 
