Amenorrhea

Amenorrhea is the absence of periods (menstrual bleeding) for more than 6 months. Absence of periods during 2-6 months called oligomenorrhea. Amenorrhea could be primary or secondary: • Primary amenorrhea is the absence of menstrual bleeding and secondary sexual characteristics (for example, breast development and pubic hair) in a girl by age 14 years or the absence of menstrual bleeding with normal development of secondary sexual characteristics in a girl by age 16-17 years. • Secondary amenorrhea is the absence of periods in girls and women who had been menstruating but later stop menstruating for 6 or more months in the absence of pregnancy, menopause, hormonal treatment and/or hormonal contraception. Amenorrhea can result because of an abnormality in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis which could be functional or anatomical. Read more about amenorrhea