Negative pregnancy tests, but where's my period?

tiinks
asks:
I haven't had my period for two months now (the last time I had my period was March 16). My b.f. and I fooled around but nothing happened, if you know what I mean. I then took 2 pregnancy tests and they both came out negative. At the end of April, I went to the pediatrician and they did a pregnancy test too (I don't know if they did it by blood or by urine). All the tests came out negative, but my period hasn't come yet and I just want to know what it could possibly be! I feel like I'm going to get my period, yet it just wont come. PLEASE HELP!
Sarah replies:

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 you should be able to rely on the results of those tests. If you are concerned that perhaps the tests were not done correctly, you have a couple of options. You can certainly get another HPT and test again at home, making sure to follow the directions very carefully. Once a person is pregnant and has produced enough of the hormone to show up on a test, they would be able to get a positive test throughout the rest of the pregnancy. So were you to be pregnant, you would be able to get a positive test for sure at this point. Your other option is to head back to your health care provider and ask for another pregnancy test. But again, it is highly unlikely that you would have tested negative on the tests you've already done and be pregnant right now unless you have had some sort of pregnancy risk since that time. But certainly, if you are overly concerned about this, re-testing certainly won't make you pregnant, but it might relieve your anxiety a bit. You can find out more about pregnancy tests by checking out our article: Peeing on a Stick: All About Pregnancy Tests.

However, since it sounds like you really don't have a pregnancy risk here (unless you have had contact that you did not mention), we can certainly look at other things that might cause you to have a late or missed period. Our bodies are not like machines. They don't always function in the ways we expect, or in the ways we might like the to work. Especially during the first five years or so of menstruation, it is very possible to have some (or lots of) irregularity. Your body is growing and changing, which can sometimes throw things off. Even if you've been regular in the past, it's not unusual for things to get weird all of a sudden for no apparent reason. (Heck, even in people who have been menstruating for a long time, some occasional irregularity can happen. And some people who menstruate will never be terribly regular.) Generally, this is going to work itself back out eventually. It's hard to say exactly how long it will take to become regular again (if you do). There can also be other causes like weight loss (or gain), changes in exercise routines, or even stress that can impact your menstrual cycle. You can check out our article M.I.A or, Dude, Where's My Period? for more information on the things that can cause your period to be late.

The bottom line is that it doesn't sound like you've had a pregnancy risk here (and three negative pregnancy tests pretty much rules out pregnancy at the moment). If your period continues to be absent, especially if you're to the point where you've actually missed 2 or more periods, then it's time to head back to your doctor just to get things checked out again. There can be certain medical conditions which can cause long-term absence of menstruation, but only your doctor can look at your medical history and examine you in order to be able to figure that out. For the moment, try to relax and not worry too much.

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