Irregular menstruation

Irregular cycles or irregular periods is an abnormal variation in length of menstrual cycles. An individual usually experiences cycle length variations of up to eight days between the shortest and longest cycle lengths. Lengths ranging between eight and 20 days are considered moderately irregular. Variation of 21 days or more is considered very irregular.{{cite book | first=John | last=Kippley |author2=Sheila Kippley | year=1996 | title=The Art of Natural Family Planning | edition=4th | publisher=The Couple to Couple League | location=Cincinnati, OH | isbn=0-926412-13-2 | pages=92 }}

Alternatively, a single menstruation cycle may be defined as irregular if it is less than 24 days or more than 38 days.{{Cite web|url=https://www.womenshealth.gov/menstrual-cycle/period-problems|title=Period problems?|website=womenshealth.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-11-07}} If they are regularly shorter than 21 days or longer than 36 (or 35) days, the condition is termed polymenorrhea or oligomenorrhea, respectively.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/menstruation/conditioninfo/irregularities|title=What are menstrual irregularities?|website=nichd.nih.gov/|date=31 January 2017 |language=en|access-date=2018-11-07}}

Additionally, irregular menstruation is common in adolescence.{{cite web | title = Menstruation in Girls and Adolescents: Using the Menstrual Cycle as a Vital Sign | publisher = American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists | url = https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2015/12/menstruation-in-girls-and-adolescents-using-the-menstrual-cycle-as-a-vital-sign | access-date = 5 July 2020}} A regular menstrual cycle can be set within a year of menarche.{{Cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Katie |last2=Pollack |first2=Staci |last3=Ghods |first3=Ali |last4=Dicken |first4=Carrie |last5=Isaac |first5=Barbara |last6=Adel |first6=Goli |last7=Zeitlian |first7=Gohar |last8=Santoro |first8=Nanette |date=2008 |title=Onset of Ovulation after Menarche in Girls: A Longitudinal Study |journal=The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism |volume=93|issue=4|pages=1186–94 |doi=10.1210/jc.2007-1846 |pmid=18252789 |pmc=2291492 |doi-access=free}} However, other studies suggest that it can take anywhere between 2{{Cite journal |last1=Legro |first1=Richard S.|last2=Lin|first2=Hung Mo|last3=Demers|first3=Laurence M. |last4=Lloyd |first4=Tom |date=March 1, 2000|title=Rapid Maturation of the Reproductive Axis during Perimenarche Independent of Body Composition |journal=The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism |volume=85|issue=3|pages=1021–1025 |doi=10.1210/jcem.85.3.6423 |pmid=10720033|doi-access=free}} and 7{{Cite journal |last1=Engle |first1=E.T. |last2=SHELESNYAK |first2=M.C. |title=First Menstruation and Subsequent Menstrual Cycles of Pubertal Girls |date=1934|jstor=41447202 |journal=Human Biology |volume=6 |issue=3 |pages=431–453}}{{Cite journal |last1=Treloar |first1=A.E. |last2=Boynton |first2=R.E. |last3=Behn |first3=B.G.|last4=Brown|first4=B.W.|date=1967|title=Variation of the human menstrual cycle through reproductive life. |url=https://www.popline.org/node/508523|journal=International Journal of Fertility |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=77–126|via=POPLINE}}{{Cite journal|last=Vollman|first=R.F.|date=1977|title=The Menstrual Cycle |journal=Major Problems in Obstetrics and Gynecology|publisher=W.B. Saunders Co. |volume=7 |pages=1–193 |pmid=836520|via=POPLINE}} years to establish regularity after an individual's first menses.

Other types of conditions that can be referred to by "irregular menstruation" include:

• Metrorrhagia, which generally refers to vaginal bleeding that occurs between the expected menstrual periods.{{Cite web|url=https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003156.htm|title=Vaginal bleeding between periods: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia|website=medlineplus.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-11-07}} The distinction between irregular cycle lengths and metrorrhagia is not always clear. It may depend on whether the bleeding is regarded as marking the menstrual period (favoring the term "irregular cycles") or being separate from it (favoring the term "metrorrhagia").{{cn|date=April 2022}}
• Oligomenorrhea generally refers to infrequent menstruation, More strictly, it is menstrual periods occurring at intervals of greater than 35 days, with only four to nine periods in a year. Menstrual periods should have been regularly established before the development of infrequent flow and often (but not always) involves irregular intervals. In contrast to "irregular cycles", the interval between one cycle and the next may be consistent but can be regarded as "irregular" compared to the cycle length of a female without oligomenorrhea. Women with oligomenorrhea often have irregular cycles as well.{{cn|date=April 2022}}
• Polymenorrhea is the medical term for cycles with intervals of 21 days or fewer. It can be regarded as the opposite of oligomenorrhea.

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Category:Menstrual disorders