Irregular Periods: Causes, Symptoms & When to See a Doctor

Question
Hi, thank you very much for your help in advance.

I am 22 years old and not sexually active. I had my first period may be at about 16 yrs. of age. My period was always relatively irregular and it was normal for me to miss 2 to 4 months (4 months usually happened once a year in the spring). I have gone to a gynecologist several times and after the exams all told me that I have irregular hormonal levels and should take birth control pills. As I have heard many times that such pills are bad for my health, I refused to follow that advise. The problem which greatly concerns me is that I now have not had a period for about 6 months (last time was in March). I am very worried and will go to the doctor, however, I would appreciate your opinion as well. I have a good figure, good eating habits, no excessive stress (I do have some stress being an Investment Banker, but certainly not too much). What could this be? If this is PCOS would it have significant negative effects on my ability to get pregnant? Are hormonal pills really bad (weight gain, hair growth, adaptation of the body to constant supplements)? Could this be due to my lack of sexual experience/activity? If so, is this a problem? Is there a "body cleansing" pill that I could take to induce a period and see how things go without significant negative effects? Do you think that traditional Chinese medicine could be of help? In short, what is you opinion on this? I would appreciate as much detail as possible.

Thank you for your time and help in advance!

Answer
I would highly recommend seeing a Reprductive Endocrinologist rather than a Gynecologist since your main concern seems to be future fertility. A RE is highly specialized in the hormones and reproductive system and will better be able to help you. I really would not advise alternate medicines. Some of those can cause more harm than good and are not well regulated.

I forgot to add some information. Not having menstrual periods tends to mean that you are also not ovulating regularly. Anovulation does indeed cause infertility and makes it hard to get pregnant. However, there are numerous combinations of medications you can take short term to induce ovulation under the care of a good Reproductive Endo and be able to get pregnant and they do not cause any lasting side effects when used properly. As far as the missed periods, if you are uncomfortable with birth control pills, provera can be used every few missed cycles to prompt a period without being on it monthly or long term. You shouldnt keep going without having a cycle at all because that can also lead to uterine cancer risks because you arent shedding your lining. A good RE will be able to address all your concerns much better than I can and help you find a treatment option that works for you.