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The Pregnancy Panic Companion: When Periods Are Irregular

This is part of our Pregnancy Panic Companion. Click here to go back to the beginning.

You said you are scared about a pregnancy, but your menstrual period (or your partner's) is irregular or infrequent.

Instructions for the timing of pregnancy⁠ tests talk about taking tests when a period⁠ is absent or late.  But if periods are irregular or infrequent, you can't know when to expect a period, so you also can't know when a period is late.

So:

  • If it has been three weeks or less since the risk you are worried about, then the information on this page is what applies to you, because it is probably too early for you to take a pregnancy test⁠ .
  • If it has been three or more weeks since the risk you are worried about, then the information on this page is what applies to you, because enough time has passed since your risk for a pregnancy test to give accurate results.

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  • Heather Corinna

This page is part of our Pregnancy Panic Companion. Click here to go back to the beginning.

You said you are scared about a pregnancy, and your menstrual period (or your partner's) is late or missed OR that you (or your partner) have irregular or sporadic periods.

For those in the late or missed group…