Menstruation

It's really hard to say when your periods might develop a discernible pattern. In general, we would probably expect to see that happen within the first 3-5 years of menstruation. However, that is a very general guideline because there are a lot of other factors that could be at work as well. Your...

Hi there, It is important to remember that young people mature at different rates. Not all people with uteruses will have started menstruating by the age of 14. There are other stages of puberty that are important and lead up to menstruation. For example, by the age of 14, you should notice some...

Pregnancy tests, both the blood and the urine type, are pretty darn accurate these days. So if you've had two negative home tests (HPTs) and a negative test at the doctor's office (assuming they were all correctly taken and done at least 14 days after the last time you were sexually active), then...

When your period is going to happen in a given month is determined through the whole of your fertility cycle, by a fairly complex process of hormones in your body that trigger when you ovulate, how much uterine lining you build up and when, and how, you shed that lining. The only ways that any kind...

There's nothing about having a menstrual period which makes it impossible or even difficult for someone to have any kind of sex. In fact, because there are extra fluids present, plenty of people find some kinds of sex -- like vaginal intercourse -- more pleasant during menses. People can also...

Reprinted from S.E.X.: The All-You-Need-to-Know Progressive Sexuality Guide to Get You Through High School and College , © 2007 Heather Corinna/Marlowe & Company. Illustration by Molly Crabapple. Want to print out copies for yourself? Click here to download one in PDF format. Enjoy!

If anything, sexual activity can sometimes improve menstrual symptoms, but only if you're reaching orgasm. It's the uterine contractions and chemical changes in your brain due to orgasm -- not the activity itself, so much -- that can do that. On the other hand, if you're sexually active and not...

Bodies can do some pretty weird things sometimes. The unexpected can happen for reasons that not be apparent to us, even if everything has worked like clockwork in the past. There are lots of things that can cause a period to be late or to skip once in a while. Obviously, if you were pregnant you...

I'm sorry that you're having to go through this. Looking at the timing here, and what you're describing, it does sound like you had your menstrual period, in which case no, you cannot be pregnant. Not knowing the length of your cycles, or the date of that last period, I can't tell you when to expect...

College is a big change in a person's life. It's a change that is far more stressful than many would even realize. When you leave for college, your living arrangements change, you're eating new food and you've got a hectic schedule to keep. All these stressors can cause your period to be late. If...