Hi, my name is Serena and I have a little sister, she's turning 15 this coming March. She started her period approximately 5 years ago and they have always been highly irregular.

They come every two or three months and can last for a couple weeks, and it's always really heavy. I want to know if there might be a severe hormonal imbalance, seeing as to how my sister has matured quite different than the normal girl. She has a more-defined-than-normal-women's mustache, and muscular-like physique.

I'm wondering if it is so, if putting her on hormonal pills would help at all.


Thank you, very much.

Also, due to her age, my mother is against her going to a gynecologist, however, I'm wondering if a regular physician could help--or at least convince and refer my mom to a gyn.

It is possible that she could have some sort of hormone imbalance. If that is the case, the doctor would need to determine why. Depending on the cause, hormone therapy might be the answer.

General practitioners/family doctors can determine if she has a hormone imbalance by doing some blood tests. In fact, if they find that the hormone levels are not what they should be, she will probably be referred to a different kind of specialist (the name escapes me). So she does not necessarily have to see a gynecologist.

However, once a girl has started her period, it's never too early for her to see a gynecologist if there is a health concern.