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Hi Aunt Vadge,
My period is 10 days late and I don’t know what to do. I had sex with my boyfriend on 7 January, and my last period started on 14 December. He used a condom and didn’t ejaculate – I took the sperm in my mouth. My period is now 10 days late. Please help.
Sincerely,
Late
Dear Late,
On the numbers you’ve given, pregnancy is extremely unlikely. If the condom didn’t break and no semen got onto or near your vulva, there’s no realistic way to fall pregnant – and semen you took in your mouth can’t travel from your stomach to your uterus, so that part can’t make you pregnant at all. The most likely explanation is simply a late or skipped period, which is incredibly common.
Do a home pregnancy test to put your mind fully at rest. If it’s negative and your period still hasn’t turned up in another week or two, book in with a doctor for a check.
Your dates put this cycle at about 41 days so far, when most cycles run between 21 and 35 days. One long or skipped cycle on its own usually isn’t a problem – bodies do this from time to time and no one ever finds out why. It’s mainly worth looking into if it becomes a pattern.
When periods pause for a while, it’s called secondary amenorrhoea. That’s just a label meaning ‘the periods have stopped’ – it doesn’t tell you the cause on its own.
Common reasons a period goes missing
- Stress, travel, illness or a big change in routine
- Losing weight or being very lean – you need some body fat to make the hormones that drive ovulation
- Heavy exercise loads
- Higher androgens, as in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- An ovary simply not releasing an egg that month, so the hormonal cascade that brings on a period doesn’t fire
How a late period affects your vagina
A late period by itself doesn’t harm your vagina, but the hormones behind your cycle do shape it. When ovulation stalls and oestrogen dips, you might notice less discharge or a slightly drier feel; once your cycle gets going again, normal lubrication and discharge usually come back.
If you also notice unusual discharge, odour or itching, treat that as a separate question worth checking, rather than part of the late period.
When someone comes to us with a late period, a one-off usually sorts itself out within a cycle or two; it’s the longer pattern that points to something hormonal worth treating, and that’s the picture we help people get to the bottom of.
What to do next
- Do a home pregnancy test now, for peace of mind
- If it’s negative and your period still hasn’t arrived in a week or two, see a doctor for a check and some basic tests
- Read through the reasons periods stop and tick off anything else that fits you
Try not to spiral while you wait. A skipped period is so often nothing at all, and you’ll know a great deal more once you’ve done that test.
Write any time.
Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge
This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
