Amenorrhea
Amenorrhea is the absence of menstrual bleeding and may be primary or secondary.
Primary amenorrhea is the absence of menstrual bleeding and secondary sexual characteristics (for example, breast development and pubic hair) in a girl of age 14 years or the absence of menstrual bleeding with normal development of secondary sexual characteristics in a girl of age 16 years.
Secondary amenorrhea is the absence of menstrual bleeding in a woman who had been menstruating but later stops menstruating for three or more months in the absence of pregnancy, lactation (the ability to breastfeed), cycle suppression with systemic hormonal contraceptive (birth control) pills, or menopause.
Amenorrhea can result because of an abnormality in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, anatomical abnormalities of the genital tract, or functional causes. Some other causes may be psychotropic drug use (drugs prescribed to stabilize or improve mood, mental status, or behavior), excessive stress, excessive exercise and cycle suppression with systemic hormonal contraceptive (birth control) pills. |
