Hello XXXXXXX

Thanks for writing.

The delay in menstruation in your case is probably due to steroid intake (prednisolone) and SLE itself.

They do affect periods and can cause irregularity or no menses at all.

Pregnancy is not a possibility as you say you had protected intercourse and your urine tests are also negative till now.

Recurrent candidiasis does not affect menstruation to the extent of delaying it.

It is mainly the upper genital infection by chlamydia and gonorrhea which are likely to affect menstruation.

Also you say you have candidiasis every month so you need to rule out the risk factor for repeated infection like diabetes.
Steroid use can itself predispose you to more of yeast(fungal) infection and also it flares up any kind of infection.

Also improper hygiene with constant wetness of undergarments can promote fungal infection.

However any pelvic pathology like ovarian cysts should not be missed which might be delaying your periods. An XXXXXXX examination and ultrasound would help in ruling out these as a cause of delay.

Thyroid disorders are commonly associated with auto immune diseases like SLE. So you need to get a blood TSH level estimated to rule out hypothyroidism. This is because delayed periods and irregular menses are very commonly seen with thyroid disorders.

So you need an evaluation for all these once you visit your gynecologist.

Take care.

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