I am 19 years old.
I am yet to start menstruation.
Please, what can I do?
Worried Girl, 0*05***4***.
Dear Worried Girl,
Your fears are understandable and genuine. I want to believe from your terse message that you have never menstruated before.
What you are experiencing in the medical parlance is referred to as primary amenorrhea which means no menses at all. It is believed that ideally that a girl should start her period at 13 while if after 16, the period refuses to show up means there is a problem somewhere which should be tackled headlong.
I would not know if you have made any attempt to get to the root of the delay, but findings established some of the causes of the delay to include appearance of breast before you clocked 13, birth defects of your reproductive system, lack of an opening in the membrane at the entrance of the vagina (hymen). Your predicament can only be addressed by an expert in reproductive health.
If you had developed breast and grown pubic hair by age 14, then the delay is normal. It is also possible that you are experiencing delayed puberty that might been caused by some genetic factor that delays physical development, like failure of ovarian development.
Eating disorders have equally been found to be a common cause of amenorrhea in adolescent girls like you while extreme weight loss and reduced fat that lead to hormonal changes could have been responsible for the delay. These changes produce a reduction in reproductive hormones.
Whatever might have been the cause of the delay can only be detected by submitting yourself for proper test in a teaching hospital. It is not an issue that you must keep silent about.
All I have stated above are just layman’s explanation as I want to believe that your mother is aware of your lot, if not, please, do the needful immediately so that she can give you the support you need in carrying out the necessary tests.
Don’t keep sealed lips and don’t be fooled by any suggestion that cannot stand the test of time. You will get over this. It is nothing to worry about.
It is well with you.
and then