Scarleteen

My period is 6 days late as of today. I had sex approximately two weeks before my estimated day of my period, but he wore a condom that had spermicide on it; this isn't really a pregnancy scare, but I do plan on taking an at home test tomorrow. I've just graduated from high school and I am going to college in 2 weeks so I think it may be from stress and I have been showing signs of depression for a few months so it could be the two of those combined. Also, the strange thing is that I've been having the usual signs of my period for the past few days (lack of appetite and stomach aches/small cramps). I'm trying to relax and not stress about the small risk of pregnancy. Is there anyway I can make it come faster? Also, if it doesn't come, when should I see a gynecologist? I'm 18 years old and have been having my period for 8 years.

There's really not, no.

There's no need to see a gynecologist with periods not coming when expected (and don't forget: a late period is one that's five or more days later than the very latest you'd expect it based on your cycles over the past six months or so: cycle fluctuations are common) unless you miss a full couple of cycles, or unless you're just due for your annual OB/GYN preventative healthcare visit.

Thanks! It was supposed to come on the 28th, it also came on the 28th of May

I'm not sure what you mean by "supposed to come." If you mean because it came on the 28th in May, and assume that means it should have come on that same date in the months since, know that actually isn't sound to assume.

Do you know how we chart periods and follow them over time to see what patterns they have so we can get a good sense of around when -- it's always be around, ever exactly -- to expect them, presuming someone has fairly regular cycles?

It came on June 28th and I was expecting it around July 28th, but it's 7 days late. My period has never been clockwork, it always comes a few days late or a few days early. I've never had it a week late except for once in my third year of having it. I've just been stressing out a lot because of the risk of pregnancy and a lot of people are saying that if I used birth control then it's probably late because of stress and I can't take a pregnancy test until tomorrow and I have been all over the Internet looking for ways to make it come. I know there really isn't much you can do, I'm sorry. You probably get people dumping on you all the time like this. I've just been really stressed out about this because I don't want to be pregnant and people say that it might just be stress, but it's 7 days late now.

Also, I wiped and there was a little bit of pink discharge and I thought it was my period, but I haven't seen anything since and it's been about a half hour. Could this be a sign that I'm not pregnant?

So what I am hearing is that you have not been charting your period correctly. That also means that there is not much of a point in trying to figure out if this one is late at all, and if yes by how much. What you will just want to do, going forward, is charting your period correctly so that you can get a better sense of when to expect it. How that works is that you will want to start counting on the first day of your period (the first day you are bleeding) and then keep count until the next first day of a period. That number of days is how long your menstrual cycle was that month. Once you have done that for a few months, you should have a good sense of how long your cycle is on average, and when to expect your period.

I have an app and it says that my average cycle is 31 days and I am on day 37.

How many cycles have you been using the app for? Six or more?

If so, then okay, so your period is late right now. And then your next step, since you're concerned about pregnancy, is a pregnancy test.

If it's negative, as it likely will be, then you just figure you're having a cycle shift or it's just wonky this time around, which happens sometimes.

If you've been using the app for less than six months, then you just have to know that it's too soon for any predictions it makes to be very accurate, so who knows if it's late now or not, but you could go ahead and take a test if you wanted, by all means.

Thank you so much, my boyfriend and his older sister said that I'm probably not, but I worry too much.

I took a pregnancy test and I followed the directions carefully and it came out negative. Now, whenever I wipe I get some blood, but my period isn't starting. I'm not worried, just really confused. Should I be worried? Does this mean it's a true negative or a false negative?

I am not sure why you feel like your period is not starting if you are bleeding? It's not at all unusual for a period to start more like spotting, and it seems like this is a bit of an irregular period for you anyway.

I was worried because there's no blood on the pad, only when I would wipe.

Just like Johanna said, that's no cause for concern. Given your period is past due, it's very likely that it's your period beginning veeeerrry slowwwly. They do that sometimes, in exactly the way you describe - a touch of blood only when wiping. When that happens, you'll just want to wait it out for a day or two to let your body have the time to reveal to you what it's doing

If you followed the instructions with the pregnancy test, you can be confident it gave you the correct result. Incorrect results are rare, and are usually because of incorrect usage; incorrect results for any other reason are extremely rare.

If you need some ways of distacting yourself from the focus on your period and helping yourself pass this time a little easier, there are a bunch of good ideas in Self-Care a La Carte.

Thank you so much!