Dear DOLLY, I started having my period a couple of weeks before my 14th birthday, but I'm 15 and haven't had it again for about eight or nine months. I'm not pregnant - I'm still a virgin - but my last period was extremely heavy and lasted about a week. What's going on? Ashley, NSW
It's common for girls to have irregular periods for the first 1 - 2 years, including having several months between periods. However, most will settle into a reasonably regular pattern after the first year, and it sounds as though this is definitely not the case with you. Since pregnancy is ruled out, your body is still adjusting to the hormone changes of puberty - but it could also be that you have a slight hormone imbalance
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It would be fine to wait another few months and see what happens, especially if your health is otherwise fine. However if you have had any health problems, have had any weight loss or unhealthy dieting patterns, or if you are overweight or have any family history of period problems or hormone conditions including diabetes, then it would be good to have a check up with your doctor.
