Amenorrhea facts for kids

Amenorrhea is the medical term for when a girl or woman does not have her menstrual period. It is a symptom that tells doctors something is happening inside the body.

It is normal for a female not to have a period before puberty, during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding. However, if a girl has gone through puberty and does not start her period, or if a woman stops having her period unexpectedly, it is called amenorrhea. This condition happens when the body's hormones are not balanced or if there is a difference in how the reproductive organs developed.

Understanding Amenorrhea

To understand amenorrhea, it helps to know how the body controls the menstrual cycle. A part of the brain called the hypothalamus acts like a control center. It sends chemical messages, called hormones, to another part of the brain called the pituitary gland.

The pituitary gland then sends signals to the ovaries. These signals tell the ovaries to make their own hormones, like estrogen and progesterone. These hormones get the body ready for a period. If any part of this communication line is broken or interrupted, a period might not happen.

Types of Amenorrhea

Doctors divide amenorrhea into two main groups based on when it starts.

Primary Amenorrhea

Primary amenorrhea is when a girl has not started her first period by the age of 15 or 16. It is also considered primary amenorrhea if a girl is 14 years old and has not started other changes of puberty.

This type is often caused by genetic conditions or differences in how the reproductive organs formed before birth.

Secondary Amenorrhea

Secondary amenorrhea happens to women or girls who have had normal periods in the past but then stop having them.

• If a person usually has regular periods, it is diagnosed after 3 months without a period.
• If a person has irregular periods, it is diagnosed after 6 months without a period.

This type is more common and can be caused by stress, weight changes, or other health conditions.

Causes of Amenorrhea

There are many reasons why a period might stop or never start.

Sometimes, the body develops differently due to genetics. How a person lives and their overall health can affect their cycle. The brain can stop sending hormone signals if the body is under a lot of stress. This can happen from losing a lot of weight very quickly or having very low body fat. Girls who do very intense sports (like gymnastics, ballet, or long-distance running) sometimes stop getting their periods. This is known as exercise amenorrhoea. It happens because the body uses all its energy for the sport and does not have enough left to manage the menstrual cycle. Conditions like anorexia nervosa, where a person does not eat enough food, can cause periods to stop. The body needs a certain amount of energy and nutrition to work correctly.

Hormones control the menstrual cycle, so any imbalance can also cause amenorrhea.

Diagnosis

If a girl is worried about not having her period, she should visit a doctor.

How It Is Treated

Treatment depends on the cause. The goal is to keep the bones and body healthy.

• Lifestyle Changes: If the cause is too much exercise or low weight, the doctor might recommend eating more healthy food and resting more. Working with a dietitian can help.
• Medicine: If there is a hormone imbalance, like a thyroid problem, medicine can fix it.
• Hormone Therapy: For girls with genetic conditions, doctors may give hormones to help the body grow and develop.