i haven’t gotten my period, like, ever

[lb07]

i’m turning 17 in a couple weeks, my body is fully developed and i have finished puberty i believe, the only thing i don’t have is my period, the women in my family got theirs at either 12, 10, or even 8. i was told by a doctor at 12 that i should’ve gotten it around a year after i started getting breasts, but i started getting them at 10. i am very overweight (and by overweight i mean.. obese, unfortunately) so that could have something to do with it, but i don’t know. it’s very weird, and i think i should’ve gotten it by now, right?

it’s not like i’m upset about it, i’m a trans guy after all, but im just confused why i haven’t gotten my period by now

[Sam W]

Hi lb07,

You're right that the fact that you haven't had one by now is a bit odd, although it's not completely unheard of for menarche to come this late in someone's teens. I can't say for certain why it hasn't come yet, but it may be worth bringing up with a healthcare provider just to check to see if there's an underlying reason for it, like a medical condition, that might need to be addressed because it could influence your health in other ways.

I will say that, when it comes to weight, it's actually being underweight, or excessively exercising or dieting, that can cause menstruation to be delayed (or to stop, if someone had already hit menarche).