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Missed periods; Lack of menses; Periods - missed; Amenorrhea
Absent menstruation means no menstrual flow, or period. Absent menstruation may be:
Absent menstruation is called amenorrhea.
Many perfectly healthy females begin to menstruate later than most (the average age is about 13).
Pregnancy is often the first thought when a period is missed, but there are many reasons for having a late period. The rate of primary amenorrhea in the United States is less than 1%. The rate of secondary amenorrhea (due to some cause other than pregnancy) is about 4% in the general population.
Symptoms associated with amenorrhea depend on the cause and may include:
Causes of primary amenorrhea:
Factors that can disrupt normal menstruation and cause secondary ammenorrhea include:
Master-Hunter T, Heiman DL. Amenorrhea: evaluation and treatment. Am Fam Physician. 2006;73:1374-1382.
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