Missed My Period Last Week - Am I Pregnant?

Published: March 14, 2017
Dear TeenHealthFX,
Hi Im 17 and I missed my Period last week. It is the monday after and I thought I started my period this morning but it turned out it was just spoting now I have a burning sensation on my vaginal area. Am i pregnant? The last time I had unprotected sex was about 10 days ago. But we took as much precautions as we could. Thank you
Signed: Missed My Period Last Week - Am I Pregnant?

Dear Missed My Period Last Week - Am I Pregnant?,

TeenHealthFX can’t know for sure whether or not you are pregnant, but if you had unprotected sex and then missed your period, it is certainly possible that you are pregnant.

Since you have already missed your period, FX recommends that you take a pregnancy test. You can purchase a pregnancy test at your local grocery store or drugstore. You can also get a pregnancy test from a healthcare provider. If you take the test on your own, be sure to read and follow the directions carefully. If the test is positive, then it is important to meet with a health care professional so that you can talk about your pregnancy options. If your test is negative, you might want to consider taking another pregnancy test after a couple of days to confirm the results.  

If your pregnancy test is positive, you continue to go without your period, or the burning sensation continues, FX recommends that you meet with your primary care physician, gynecologist or an adolescent medicine specialist. Again, if your test is positive your doctor can discuss pregnancy options with you. If your test is negative but you have not gotten your period your doctor can determine the cause of your missed period. And if the burning sensation continues, your doctor can determine the cause of that and make a recommendation about STD testing if needed.

TeenHealthFX would also like to encourage you to speak to your doctor about safer sex precautions for the future. Doctors generally recommend that teens and young adults who choose to be sexually active use condoms each and every time they have sex to protect against unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of STDs, as well as a back-up method of birth control such as the pill or birth control shot. Your doctor can make the best recommendations for you and discuss with you how to use properly use birth control to maximize its effectiveness.

If you don't have a doctor and live in northern New Jersey, you can call the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at 973-971-5199 for an appointment with an adolescent medicine specialist or contact your local teen health center or Planned Parenthood. A Planned Parenthood health center is a good option if you have concerns about cost or confidentiality issues. You can also contact your insurance company for a list of in-network providers.

FX also suggests that you check out the links in our Resource of the Month: Planned Parenthood Resources on Safer Sex so that you can learn about sexual readiness, how pregnancy happens, pregnancy tests, emergency contraception, birth control, STDs and more. The more educated you are about these topics, the more likely you will make healthy decisions for yourself when it comes to your sexual health.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please talk to a parent/guardian, your school nurse, a counselor at school, the parent of a friend or any other trusted adult who can provide you with the support and guidance you need.

Signed: TeenHealthFX

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