What characterizes secondary amenorrhea?

Secondary amenorrhea is defined as the cessation of menstrual periods for three consecutive cycles or a duration of three months in a woman who has previously menstruated regularly. This definition emphasizes that the individual had a prior normal menstrual pattern and has now stopped having periods for a significant length of time, which helps differentiate it from primary amenorrhea, where menstruation has never occurred.

Recognizing the condition requires understanding the patient’s menstrual history, and this timeframe is critical in diagnosing secondary amenorrhea. This distinction is important for clinical assessment and guiding further evaluation to identify underlying causes, which could range from lifestyle factors, hormonal imbalances, to more serious conditions like premature ovarian failure or pituitary disorders.

The other options describe either conditions that do not fit the criteria for secondary amenorrhea or are unrelated to it. For instance, absence of menses since puberty refers to primary amenorrhea, while the absence of menses for six months, although a common threshold for other classifications, does not align with the established guidelines for secondary amenorrhea. Similarly, absence of menses due to hormonal treatment could be a specific circumstance but does not define the broader category of secondary amenorrhea. Thus, the precise definition of three months following a previously established menstrual pattern