Q: I am a 26 years old unmarried woman, 5.3 feet tall and my weight is 70 kg. I had missed a period five months back but got the period next month. Then after 10 days I had protected sex and had my periods on time in the same month. Last month I again had protected sex but now I am again facing the problem of delayed periods. What could be the reason for the same? A few people told me to go for thyroid test because my weight is also increasing. Earlier it was 62 kg then it became 65 then 68 and now it is 70 kg. Please advise.

A:If you are going to have sex frequently, it is better to be on the birth control pill. That way you will get rid of the anxiety about being pregnant every time you have sex or miss a period. Condoms have a higher failure rate (about 10%) than pills (taken consistently as directed). It takes one failure a year to have a child every year.

There is no harm in getting your thyroid checked and getting a complete gynaecologic exam, and is strongly recommended in US once you start having sex.