Would I be getting my period if I wasn't on birth control?
Asked by splenda_sweet on Oct 29, 2008
in Eating Disorders
I am 18 and recovering from anorexia. Currently, I weigh 113 pounds, with 17.9% body fat, at 5'7. Would I be getting my period if I was not on birth control?
Answer
It is unlikely that you would be getting your period if you did not take birth control pills because women need around 22% body fat for regular menstrual cycles. Estrogen, the female reproductive hormone, is produced, in part, by fat tissue, and so it is in short supply when fat stores are low. A woman is infertile when menstrual periods are absent, but it can be reversed with weight gain; however, reversal is not so easy for bone health, which also depends on normal hormonal function. Bone tissue cannot be significantly replaced after it is lost.
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