Infertility and Reproduction  Guide 
What Is Amenorrhea?
If your doctor says you have “amenorrhea,” it means that you aren’t getting your periods, although you’ve been through puberty , aren’t
pregnant, and haven’t gone through menopause.
It’s not about having irregular periods . If you have amenorrhea, you never get your period. Although it’s not a disease, you should tell your doctor about it, because it might be a symptom of a medical condition that can be treated.
Types
There are two types of amenorrhea:
Primary amenorrhea. This is when a young woman has not
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Secondary amenorrhea. This is when a woman who has had normal menstrual cycles stops getting her monthly period for 3 or more months.
Causes
Many things could cause amenorrhea.
Possible causes of primary amenorrhea (when a woman never gets her first period ) include:
Failure of the ovaries
Problems in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) or the pituitary gland (a gland in the brain that makes the hormones involved in menstruation )
Problems with reproductive organs
In many cases, doctors don’t know why a girl never gets her first period .
Common causes of secondary amenorrhea (when a woman who has had normal periods stops getting them) include:
Pregnancy
Breastfeeding
Stopping the use of birth control
Menopause
Some birth control methods, such as Depo-
Provera or certain types of intrauterine devices (IUDs)
Other causes of secondary amenorrhea include:
Stress
Poor nutrition
Depression
Certain prescription drugs
Extreme weight loss
Over- exercising
Ongoing illness
Sudden weight gain or being very overweight (obesity )
Hormonal imbalance due to polycystic ovarian syndrome ( PCOS )
Thyroid gland disorders
Tumors on the ovaries or brain (rare)

A woman who has had her uterus or ovaries removed will also stop menstruating.