Helgar, a mother of four, stopped getting her period “a long time ago.”
“The periods were very irregular for as many as eight months,” she says.
Helgar believes that her period became irregular after she used hormonal contraception for a long time. “I have other friends who have similar experiences,” she says.
Health professionals say a woman of child bearing age should worry if she is not menstruating as she should be.
The problem, says Dr Jaqueline Kitulu of Jamko Health Clinic and Laboratories, would likely be with hormonal imbalance.
“It could be that the thyroid gland is not performing as it should,” she says. “Thyroid imbalance – hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism – would have implications on menstruation.”
Then, there is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) – a condition provoked by hormonal imbalance.
PCOS presents with altered levels of oestrogen, testosterone and progesterone. The condition can permanently block menstruation. The most visible symptom of PCOS is hair growing on the face and on the chest.
Helgar may be right in one aspect though as Dr Kitulu observes that missing menses may be a harmless side effect of using certain types of hormonal contraception.
One may continue missing menses after stopping birth control but it should resume after a few months, Dr Kitulu says.
If you are 45 or older, menopause is expected. But there is a group of women who undergo early menopause – with reflective symptoms to boot.
Also, women who live through heavy exercise routines are likely to miss their menses. A punishing exercise regimen, like that of a professional athlete, alters hormones in the body.
Overall, Dr Kitulu says, menstruation is dependent on the state of a woman’s health. Women who are anorexic will almost certainly miss their menses.
The doctor advises that missed menses – where a pregnancy is not involved – should not be taken casually