Patient's question:
My girlfriend took emergency contraception 12 days ago, and her period came 6 days later. The color was a bit dark, and the amount was irregular. The day before yesterday morning, after getting up and washing her private area, she has been experiencing pain in her private area every morning when using the restroom these days. What should she do? Could she be pregnant?Doctor's answer:
Hello: Dark-colored menstruation may be due to excessive anteflexion or retroflexion of the uterus, leading to prolonged retention of uterine blood in the uterine cavity, or there may be an infection. From a TCM perspective, it is primarily a symptom of qi stagnation and blood stasis. The reduced amount of menstrual blood is due to low estrogen levels or uterine developmental abnormalities. Estrogen stimulates the proliferation and thickening of the endometrium to prepare for conception. If conception does not occur, the proliferated endometrium will shed and bleed, forming menstruation. Low estrogen levels in the body can result in insufficient endometrial thickening.