(no subject)

[poopsmoothie.livejournal.com]

Hello! I'm a new member; I joined because I keep seeing happy things said about this community over at vaginapagina.
I do have a question, however. I apologize if it's been asked before, but I didn't see anything in the memories about it. So:

I've been having my menses for four or five years, and I'm seventeen. I've never had periods every month; sometimes they come every other month, and sometimes they skip months on end. When I do have them, they tend to be very heavy, and to last for as long as 1.5 weeks; they can get quite debilitating. I know that stress can be an interfering factor, and I have a fair amount of that. I was also sexually assaulted as a very small child, causing a fair degree of internal ickiness and damage, and I've always blamed my non-regularity on that.
However, I remember reading or being told once that non-Caucasian women, particularly those of Middle Eastern ethnicities, often have menses by a different schedule (I have no idea if this applies to the whole fertility cycle), and not every 28 days, as is common in the West. I've never heard of this idea again, though, and I'm wondering if it's true. I'm half-Berber (an conglomerate ethnicity found mostly in Morroco), and adopted by an American Caucasian couple, so I can't really ask any family members. :) Can any menstrualhut members help me?

Thanks!

Comments

[almeda.livejournal.com]

Well, even total whitebread Caucasian chicks aren't necessarily 28-days, so. :-> Before birth control pills came in, and especially Victorian and previous to that, women would often get between 4 and 6 periods a year (in a year they weren't pregnant). Which isn't to say that debilitating isn't *bad*, of course.

[poopsmoothie.livejournal.com]

Well, that's encouraging! Everyone seems to say it's every 28 days universally, so hearing otherwise is a happy thing.

[wldrose.livejournal.com]

Not a member of this myself, found it through friends of friends, but I may help.

First even if you have had your period for 4 years at 17 you are not likely to be regular, at your age. Your hormones are still finding the right fit. I was 12-13 when I started and I was around 19 till it got regular. That can be real scary if you are having sex, even if it is proteced.

If you have eating probs, do a lot of exercise, or are on medication there is an even higher chance that you will not be regular. And yes stress can add to that.

I am not sure about the race issue but it may help to look in to it.

One of the most importat things you can do though is to keep a calander of your cycle. I cant stress this enough. it may be that your cycle ends up not being 28 days that is an avarage. I have runn in twenty years from 24 days for years/months to 32 days. But start now keeping track of it.

I am worried though that you have not talked to your folx or mum on this they may not be Berber but they should know whats going on and what you are concerned about.

Failing this get to a clinc or OBGYN and have an exam you are about 2 years past when you should have had your first one. Given that you have a history of Problemes it is even more important to have a good "baseline" set of data to work from in case you have problems.

Look I know beeing a teen and one that is mixxed race is hard if I can help you I would be glad to. I was lucky I was close to my mum and had 9 yes NINE aunts to ask things of.

Yours
Ashley

[poopsmoothie.livejournal.com]

Well, my folks aren't terribly helpful anyway, so I tend to leave them out of the mix. :) But, yes, I probably should start keeping a calendar. Sound advice; thanks!

[iwillfearnoevil.livejournal.com]

Your experiences sound just like what mine were during adolescence.

I always felt like a freak because my Mom, Aunts, and Sister were all regular from the first year or so and had only the normal type of cramping. But I had cramps that would literally make me roll on the floor in pain and my cycles didn't come every month until I was 22. I rarely had as much as 6 menses a year from when I started at 12 until around 20, and didn't have one every month until 22. Even now - I'm 24 - I still can't count up days and know when I'll start. It goes anywhere from 22 days to 32 days. One cool thing - my cycles got shorter and shorter and have now stabilized at 2 days, and my cramps are more normal now.

I guess you'll have to sit it out - my GYN told me that there was basically nothing that I could do, except go on the pill. If it really worries you, go on the pill. that will stabilize you. But don't be too worried fertility - there aren't usually any problems in that area.

[poopsmoothie.livejournal.com]

At 2 days? Aiieee!

Yup, I may go on the pill next year anyway, when I'm living with my sweetie, yay. Sounds like that may be the best plan.