Dr. Jaishree R. Ellis

Yes. You should take a pregnancy test. If it is negative and there have been more than 35 days in between your periods, you should call your Gynecologist for assessment.

Nexplanon is a synthetic progestin. A progestin is a form of progesterone. One of the physiologic effects of progesterone is to decrease the body's production of testosterone. Because testosterone is responsible for libido, when its production is decreased, sex drive also decreases. Another effect of progesterone is to cause thinning of the lining of the uterus and the vagina. The thinning of the vaginal walls is what leads to the vaginal dryness. These symptoms are possible with all hormonal contraceptives. However, just because you experienced them with one hormonal contraceptive, it does not mean that you will experience them with all of them. You should talk with your Gynecologist about the possibility of switching to a different hormonal contraceptive if these symptoms are disruptive. Best Regards, Dr. Ellis

There are many things that can lead to a missed menstrual cycle, or even to multiple or recurrent misses menses. If your pregnancy tests have all been negative then it is unlikely that you are pregnant, and you should be assessed for other medical disorders. The menstrual cycle can tell us a lot about other organ systems, and sometimes it is the thing that lets us know that there may be some other disorder that needs to be treated. While this may be a little unnerving, consider that this is could be an opportunity to address another health issue before it becomes severe or difficult to manage. Among the more common conditions that can lead to missed menstrual cycles are PCOS and thyroid disease. These conditions are straightforward to treat and should be addressed so that they cannot cause problems later in your life. Kindest Regards, Dr. Ellis

It is best to wait until your period is late, which is considered the 36th day of your cycle OR 35 days after the first day of your last period. Prior to this time, a urine pregnancy test is unlikely to yield a positive even if you are pregnant. At such an early time, there are not appreciable enough amounts of the HCG hormone found in the urine. Therefore, in order to get the most accurate result, it is best to wait.

Assuming that the surgery and post-operative course were uncomplicated, this should not be a problem. In the average healthy woman of reproductive age, assuming that there were no peri-operative complications, we expect that she will have healed by 6 weeks after her cesarean section.