Planned Parenthood

Someone asked us:

I haven’t had my period for a few months and I’m really worried. I’m still a virgin and not on the pill.

Take a deep breath: you probably don’t need to stress about this.

“Virginity” means different things to different people, but if you’ve never had sperm — found in ejaculate (cum) or pre-ejaculate (pre-cum) — come in contact with your vulva or vagina, you cannot be pregnant. (If your vulva was exposed to sperm, however, it’s a good idea to take a pregnancy test.) 

It’s perfectly standard for periods to be irregular or change in length or flow, especially when you first start having them. On top of that, all kinds of normal life things can mess with your menstrual cycle, including stress, weight gain or loss, travel or moving, increased exercising, and changes in diet. 

If you recently started having periods, your wonky cycle is probably just puberty doin’ its thang, or your body is reacting to any of those lifestyle changes listed above. (You can always talk with a nurse or doctor just to be sure if you’re seriously freaking out.) Hormonal birth control, as you noted in your question, can also affect menstruation —some people even use it simply to regulate their periods or stop them altogether. So if your irregular period is driving you crazypants, try talking with your doc about the possibility of using birth control to straighten it out. Otherwise, relax and go with the flow!

-Kendall at Planned Parenthood