22 years of clockwork cycles, but now where's my period?

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 (period: The fluid – or flow – which contains blood, from the shedding of the uterine lining usually at the end of each menstrual cycle. Sometimes periods may be less fluid and more globby; this is the state that is often mistaken for blood clotting.) to be late or to skip once in a while.

Obviously, if you were pregnant you would not have a period. So if you have had a pregnancy⁠ (pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the uterus. Medically, someone is considered to be pregnant when an egg has been fertilized by sperm, cells divide, and the fertilized egg is implanted within the lining of the uterus.) risk (any unprotected genital contact with ejaculate or pre-ejaculate⁠ (pre-ejaculate: A fluid which the penis usually emits with or around erection and before ejaculation, sometimes more than once. Pre-ejaculate itself does not contain sperm, but in some cases, can pick up traces of sperm left in the urethra.) ) during this cycle, it would be wise to head out⁠ (out: Short for ‘out of the closet’. When someone’s LGBTQ+ identity is known to other people.) to your local drug store/chemist/grocery store/etc. and pick up a pregnancy test⁠ (pregnancy test: What we tell you to take when you ask us if you’re pregnant. A test that can be done at home or by a healthcare provider to determine pregnancy. Usually a urine test, a pregnancy test measures for a specific hormone, hCG, only produced with pregnancy.) . (Just about any test will do as long as it is not beyond the expiration date or have an open package. You don’t have to splurge on an expensive digital model, a plain one will do just as well.)

If you’ve not had a pregnancy risk, then there are also any number of other things that can impact one’s period. Stress, diet changes, weight gain/loss, illness, major life changes, and other things can cause a period to do some strange things. You might want to check out our article M.I.A or, Dude, Where’s My Period? for more information about the things that can make your menstrual cycle⁠ (menstrual cycle: The whole of the phases of menstruation, which include, but are not limited to, the menstrual period.) act in unexpected ways.

Also, even for people who have been extremely regular for most or all of their menstruating lives, there can be some hormonal fluctuations that would cause a late or missed period occasionally. Most of the time, we never know why these things have happened during any given cycle, it may just be an anomaly.

The bottom⁠ (bottom: Either a colloquial term for buttocks or even the whole genital area, or someone who wants to consensually relinquish control or active leadership during sex to a partner and follow their lead.) line is that as long as you have not had a pregnancy risk, you probably have nothing to worry about here. There are lots of things that can make a cycle weird. If you start having any problematic symptoms like fever, severe abdominal pain, vomiting, severe headache, etc., then you should call your health care provider right away to get it checked out. Also, if you miss another period, it would be wise to head in and get checked out by your provider. But for now, this period may just be late or you may just skip.