ABSTRACT
Among 18-21-year-old females the most common reason for a physician visit is an obstetric or gynecologic complaint. 1 After pregnancy, concerns about menstrual cycle dysfunction including irregular or heavy menses are the most common dilemmas. As health-care providers it is important to assess these young girls to determine whether their complaint is a variant of normal development or a sign of underlying pathology. To this end, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Committee on adolescent health care 2 has suggested that the menstrual cycle be included as a vital sign when seeing adolescents at an office visit. Aberrations in the menstrual cycle can then be used as a screening tool to direct investigation further. Vital to this process is an understanding by both the physician and the patient of normal menstrual cycle parameters in this age group.
