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What could be the reason for delayed or missed periods?

Hello,
I am a 23 aged woman,
My date for getting periods was on around 16th Feb. However, I havent got periods until today (24th).
I havent had sex or any such activities except some self satisfactions.
However, I havent got my periods and I am worried very much, what could it be?
Furthermore, I want to say that, around 15th-20th I had had some cramps which I think and feel like periodic cramps, but i am not 100% sure regarding that because during that time some members in my family also had some kind of stomach ache so I am confused if the cramp I had was periodic or similar to those that they had.

Going through some Internet Sites, I also had Aspirin and Some (ginger and such herbs) expecting to induce period but that hasnt helped yet.

So, what could possibly be the reason? Is it possible to have Periods without actually bleeding at all? (I am saying so just because I had some cramps during the due dates of my periods even though I am confused of the reason for the cramp).

I am very very much scared, and my mom has been asking me if I had my periods. So, I dont know what to say, and what could be the reason.

Please help.

Thank you in advance for any comments or help!!!
2 Responses
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973741 tn?1342342773
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi there. When we miss a period, we aren't actually 'skipping it', but we are having a longer than usual cycle.  Here is how a woman's cycle works and how we track it:  Cycle day one is the first day of your period.  You count from there.  The average woman then ovulates midway through around day 14 to 15.  Then we get our period around day 28.  That's why it feels like we should have one 'every month'. However, if you ovulate later than usual for any of a variety of reasons, you will then have a period later than you normally do.  Say you don't ovulate until day 20?  Your period is going to be about 6 days later than usual or so.  

We are late for a number of reasons that include being stressed, changes in our routine, going on vacation or on break, illness, weight gain or loss, and sometimes there really is no rhyme or reason to why our hormones slightly shift and we are late.  But rest assured, every woman is late at one time or another. It happens to us all.  

I'd not worry.  Your period is coming.  If it continues to be delayed, however, do call your doctor.  You'd want some blood work at that point. Doctors like women to have a period at least every 3 months.  I went longer than that and saw my doctor.  I had blood work done and it revealed that I had a hormonal imbalance in that I was producing (naturally on my own) too much estrogen and I also had a slow working thyroid.  These combined to make for over a year of periods every 3 to 4 months only.  Once that resolved (and it did so on its own as I hadn't gotten in to see an endocrinologist yet), I now have a pretty regular cycle but about once a year, will have a really off month in which it is late.  So, again, try not to worry as this is pretty normal in terms of being female. Good times, right?
Helpful - 0
134578 tn?1693250592
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi, it is possible to skip a period without being pregnant. If you have never had sex, you cannot be pregnant. (If you merely did not have sex within the prior menstrual month, it is possible you could be pregnant from sex earlier. If that is the case, you should take a pregnancy test. However, it sounds like you said you have not had sex at all.)

Besides pregnancy, a period might be absent if the woman didn't ovulate in that menstrual month. Ovulation begins the hormonal activity and the period is the result, not the other way around. So if the woman does not ovulate, she won't have a hormonal signal to trigger the period a couple of weeks later. It's not uncommon for a woman to skip ovulation sometimes, one normal reason for this to happen is if she is under a lot of stress. (For example, some college students find that they only have their periods when they are home for summer break.)

If you are concerned, test for pregnancy with a home test. If your periods keep being AWOL, see your doctor and get your hormone levels tested.
Helpful - 0
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