crossposted

[gunshotbeauty.livejournal.com]

I'm almost seventeen and have been getting my period since i was twelve and a half.For the past eighteen months my period has been very irregular.A few months ago i went to the doctor and she asked how they were.They would usually come every two or three months then i got one in december of last year,then april this year and nothing since then.My doctor said if i don't get at least three this year i have to go on the pill to regulate them.My question is do i really have to go on the pill to regulate them? do i need to regulate them at all.Can i go on something else like implanon or depo to stop them all together?

Comments

just my 2 cents

[achtungbaby.livejournal.com]

do i need to regulate them at all.

no, i dont think you really NEED to regulate them. But honestly, wouldnt you rather know when they are comming than be totally unprepaired?
Also, having periods that arent regular can mean something more than having a funny period is going on.
a friend of mine had like 2 periods a year. she never really cared to regulate them, turns out she had cysts on her ovaries. she said it hurt alot but thought it was normal. (hurting is NEVER normal!!)
About the depo, most doctors have you take the pill first before you get a shot that lasts 3 or so months to make sure that the birth control wont harm your body, IE side effects (nausea, cramping, blood clots, dizzyness.) Its alot faster to get the pill and all its hormones to leave your system than it is the shot.

[marcelle42.livejournal.com]

Women with really irregular periods are often put on the pill to regulate them. My gut instinct says that if your irregularity isn't bothering you, and isn't a sign of a bigger problem (like cysts, or anorexia, or something), there's no special reason to force having them every month. But I don't know that for sure.

Your doctor has a responsibility to explain why this is necessary to you. And you have a right to ask him/her about other options. Say, "Instead of the pill, I'm interested in going on Depo. Could you tell me more about that?" Say, "Why is it so important that my period come every month?" He/She will know the medical answers better than I will, but sometimes you have to speak up... people, especially women, tend to just accept whatever the doctor says, but you have a right to be kept informed. Good Luck!