Good morning doc, I am 36 years still a virgin. Last most I missed my period and up till now I am still disturb about it. Please need urgent advice from you. Thanks

A: Thanks for writing in. If I were a mystery writer, I would call this the ‘Curious Case of The Missing Period!’ 

In cases like this, perhaps, the more material question would be, if you have had unprotected sexual intercourse in the intervening period between your last period and now. This is your most usual ‘go to’ question when a period is missing. In your case, it would appear this is not the case.

It is also possible to get pregnant even if there was no direct sex and/or penetration. How? The pre-ejaculate (a lubricating fluid produced as soon as the penis is erect, before the man ejaculates) may contain some sperm cells and so even if your partner is able to withdraw before ejaculation when there is actual penetration, ejaculates near your vagina, his erect penis comes into contact with your body near your vagina or his sperm gets into your vagina through any means including touching your vagina when he has semen or pre-ejaculate on his fingers, the harm would have been done. The risk of this is small but there is a risk.

Then the next question would focus on the regularity of your periods. Could this be due to an irregular period?

A ‘regular’ menstrual cycle is supposedly one in which the cycle (the length of time from the 1st day of a menstrual period to the first day of the next menstrual period) is about 28 days but there is nothing abnormal about cycles that fall outside of this range. It could range from about 24 days to 34 days with ovulation happening at mid cycle. Indeed, in some women each period appears to have a different cycle. For young girls who have just started menstruating, skipped or irregular periods may occur.
What do people refer to as irregular periods? Well, if the time between each period changes, or the length of days of the period changes or indeed when the quantity of blood lost during each period changes, the period is termed irregular. What can cause these changes? They include:

• Changes in hormone levels, as is common in the puberty period or menopausal period (not an issue here)
• Stress
• Excessive weight loss or excessive weight gain
• Fibroids
• Problems with the thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
• Polycystic Ovary Disease (PCOD)
• Scarring from previous surgery in the uterus
• Breast feeding mothers may also experience irregular periods as the hormones released may delay return of menstruation. Remember, however, that this is not an effective means of contraception.

So, it’s always a good idea to keep a record of your periods: length of cycles, number of days the period lasts, presence of pain etc. If you keep a chart of this over time, you would be able to know what is normal for you.

Treatment of irregular periods (which could be a cause of the ‘missing period’) depends on cause: fibroids, PCOD, hyperthyroidism all have to be treated. If irregularity is due to stress, learning coping mechanisms or relaxation techniques may help. Reduce weight or go easy on your exercise routine, if weight issues are a problem.

So, you might want to go and see your doctor to check you out.

All the best.

Good night y’all 😀