Periods, cycles, and mom

[Sam W]

Hi Han,

It's been exactly one week today that I was supposed to get my period, or the fifth week without having a period. ... My mother is also aware of my late period and is suspectful that I could have engaged in actual sex, which is not true. I'm wondering when or if I should alert someone of my missed/late period.

So, with periods, there are plenty of reasons why they could be late. You can read about those here: M.I.A or, Dude, Where's My Period?

More than that, it's not unusual for periods to arrive a little earlier or a little later than you're expecting (that irregularity is more common if you've only been menstruating for a few years). Our bodies are not machines, and so they experience fluctuation. If your curious about how to track your cycle, we have an article about how to do that here: Get With the Flow: All About FAM

You also mentioned your mom is suspicious when you don't get your period. Do you feel comfortable talking to her about things like periods and sex?

[Redskies]

Also, the general guidance is to check in with a healthcare professional if three periods in a row are missed - that's four whole months without a period! So, one period being late or completely missed isn't a medical concern.