What is Menstruation? | Get Facts About Having Your Period (2023)

FAQs

What are basic facts about periods? ›

The average menstrual cycle is 24 to 38 days . The typical period lasts 4 to 8 days . Monthly, or regular, periods are a sign your cycle is normal. Your body is working to prepare for a possible pregnancy.

The ovaries release the female hormones estrogen and progesterone . These hormones cause the lining of the uterus (or womb) to build up. The built-up lining is ready for a fertilized egg to attach to and start developing. If there is no fertilized egg, the lining breaks down and bleeds.

For most women this happens every 28 days or so, but it's common for periods to be more or less frequent than this, ranging from every 23 days to every 35 days. Your period can last between 2 and 7 days, but it will usually last for about 5 days. The bleeding tends to be heaviest in the first 2 days.

Period pain is common and a normal part of your menstrual cycle. Most women get it at some point in their lives. It's usually felt as painful muscle cramps in the tummy, which can spread to the back and thighs. The pain sometimes comes in intense spasms, while at other times it may be dull but more constant.

Usually, menstrual bleeding lasts about 4 to 5 days and the amount of blood lost is small (2 to 3 tablespoons). However, women who have menorrhagia usually bleed for more than 7 days and lose twice as much blood.

If you have sex without using contraception, you can conceive (get pregnant) at any time during your menstrual cycle, even during or just after your period. You can also get pregnant if you have never had a period before, during your first period, or after the first time you have sex.

Throbbing or cramping pain in your lower abdomen that can be intense. Pain that starts 1 to 3 days before your period, peaks 24 hours after the onset of your period and subsides in 2 to 3 days. Dull, continuous ache. Pain that radiates to your lower back and thighs.

Your first menstrual period is called menarche. It usually happens around age 12. But it may start earlier or later. Your period is a part of your menstrual cycle. This cycle is a series of changes your body goes through to prepare for a possible pregnancy.

When you get out of the water your period will flow again normally, so it's a good idea to use a tampon or menstrual cup while swimming. Pads and pantyliners aren't a good option because they will absorb water and become ineffective.

The bleeding tends to be heaviest in the first 2 days – but everyone is different. When your period is at its heaviest, the blood will be red. On lighter days, it may be pink, brown or black. You'll lose about 5 to 12 teaspoons of blood during your period although some women bleed more heavily than this.

Can a period last 1 day? ›

A typical menstrual flow lasts 3–5 days, but cycles as short as 1 day and as long as 8 days are considered normal. Sometimes, an individual may have brief spotting, or light bleeding, at a time of the month when they do not normally bleed.

Men experience similar symptoms to women when they go through hormonal imbalances. Many of them are similar to the female menstrual cycle including tiredness, cramps, increase sensitivity and cravings. According to one study, around 26 % of men experience these regular “man periods.” Men have hormonal cycles.

As a woman, your period is your body's way of releasing tissue that it no longer needs. Every month, your body prepares for pregnancy. The lining of your uterus gets thicker as preparation for nurturing a fertilized egg. An egg is released and is ready to be fertilized and settle in the lining of your uterus.

Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for painful menstrual periods which are caused by uterine contractions. Primary dysmenorrhea refers to recurrent pain, while secondary dysmenorrhea results from reproductive system disorders.

Changing your pad every 3 or 4 hours (more if your period is heavy) is good hygiene and helps prevent bad odors. This is especially true if you'll be playing sports or rushing around from class to class. Changing pads often also helps prevent accidental leaks.

A fully saturated regular daytime pad may hold around 5 milliliters of fluid. A fully soaked overnight pad may hold 10 to 15 milliliters of fluid.

Disposable sanitary pads contain certain stuff that you definitely don't want near your vagina. They cause undesirable side effects and are detrimental to your health. Many report heavier periods and worsened period cramps.

Women can't conceive after their menstrual cycles stop, usually sometime in your 40s or 50s. Men produce sperm throughout their lives, but women are born with a set number of eggs that decreases as you age.

Women in their early 20s to early 30s have a one in four chance of becoming pregnant each month. However, the likelihood of becoming pregnant decreases as women continue to age past 30. In fact, women have only a 1 in 10 chance of becoming pregnant each month by the time they're 40.

What color is your first period? ›

Your first few periods may be very light. You may only see a few spots of reddish brown blood. Anywhere from 2 to 7 days is normal.

Combination birth control pills are often the most common way to stop periods. That's because the schedule you use to take them can result in fewer periods or no periods at all. For example, you may continually take a pill containing estrogen and progestin every day until you decide not to.

Girls usually stop growing taller about 2 years after starting their menstrual period. Your genes (the code of information you inherited from your parents) will decide many things during this time, including: your height, your weight, the size of your breasts and even how much hair you have on your body.

According to experts, the best position to sleep in when you're on your period is the fetal position. Sleeping on your side with your legs squeezed together is optimal for avoiding period leaks because it decreases the chance of blood leaking out. The only position to avoid is sleeping on your stomach.

Most girls get their first period when they're between 10 and 15 years old. The average age is 12, but every girl's body has its own schedule.

The bottom line: No, your period doesn't magically stop in the water, but water pressure can prevent your flow from coming out. It's still wise to use a tampon or menstrual cup to avoid leaks as you come out of the water.

Swimming during your period isn't a problem. However, you will want to use a tampon when swimming so you don't bleed on your swimsuit. Pads won't work and will just fill with water. The tampon won't fall out if it is inserted correctly, so go ahead and make a splash!

Tampons soak up menstrual blood, but they may also block some menstrual flow from the vagina, which could extend the duration of bleeding. Sanitary pads should not hinder the menstrual flow, so some people feel that using them can help their period to end sooner.

Day 2: The period continues. The second day of your cycle is generally a heavy one. And while your PMS symptoms have (probably) cleared, you might have some cramps that accompany the bleeding. This may be a day for super tampons that you'll have to change regularly.

What part of period is heaviest? ›

While many people don't notice any bloating or weight gain at all, others might gain as much as 5 pounds. Usually, this gain happens during the premenstrual, or luteal phase, and the person loses the weight again once the next period begins.

Causes of heavy periods

Sometimes, they can be caused by: conditions affecting your womb, ovaries or hormones, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, fibroids, endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease. some medicines and treatments, including some anticoagulant medicines and chemotherapy medicines. stress and ...

Healthy period blood typically varies from bright red to dark brown or black. Blood or discharge that is orange or grey may indicate an infection. Women who experience bleeding during pregnancy should see a doctor or obstetrician for an evaluation.

“The primary reason that period blood could be brown is because it's old blood,” said Dr. Cummings. It usually happens at the beginning or the end of your period, when your flow is lighter. Because the longer blood takes to leave the body, the longer it has to oxidize (read: get exposed to oxygen), which makes it dark.

This is because oestrogen levels start to decrease, and ovulation becomes less regular. After the menopause, your periods stop completely. The menopause is a natural part of ageing in women, which usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55. The average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51 in the UK.

Lastly, the term male period or man-struation is used colloquially to refer to blood found in urine or feces. However, Brito says, bleeding from the male genitals is often the result of parasites or an infection.

Girls can start their periods anywhere from age 8 upwards, but the average is around 12 years. The average age for the menopause (when periods stop) in this country is 51. Between the ages of 12 and 52, a woman will have around 480 periods, or fewer if she has any pregnancies.

During PMS and your period, expect to feel everything from crabbiness and anger to feeling more anxious or down than normal. You can't avoid the mood swings that come with your period, but it does help to get good sleep, stay active, and steer clear of caffeine and unhealthy foods to keep the lows from feeling too low.

Boys will not get periods as they do not have a uterus and ovaries to ovulate. Periods are a physiological process in women during reproductive age. It is the shedding of the uterine lining due to hormonal changes in the body if the ovum released from the ovaries is not fertilized.

Most girls start their periods when they're about 12, but they can start as early as 8, so it's important to talk to girls from an early age to make sure they're prepared. Respond to questions or opportunities as they arise and do not be embarrassed.

What colors of period blood mean? ›

Healthy period blood typically varies from bright red to dark brown or black. Blood or discharge that is orange or grey may indicate an infection. Women who experience bleeding during pregnancy should see a doctor or obstetrician for an evaluation.

Absence of a woman's monthly menstrual period is called amenorrhea. Primary amenorrhea is when a girl has not yet started her monthly periods, and she: Has gone through other normal changes that occur during puberty. Is older than 15.

Day one of your cycle is the first day of your period. This is when your uterus starts shedding the lining it has built up over the last 28 days. After your period is over, the lining of your uterus starts to build up again to become a thick and spongy 'nest' in preparation for a possible pregnancy.

During your period, follicles (pockets) in your ovaries are stimulated to grow — there's 1 egg in each of these follicles. During the week or so after your period ends, 1 of the eggs becomes totally mature each month. When an egg is mature, it means it's ready to be fertilized by a sperm cell.

Many girls throw up — or feel like they might throw up — just before or during their periods. Hormone changes are probably the cause, and these feelings usually go away in a day or two. Treating menstrual cramps (with over-the-counter pain relief medicines, heating pads, etc.) can help some girls get rid of the nausea.

“Period” is rooted in the Greek words “peri” and “hodos” (periodos) meaning “around” and “way/path.” This eventually turned into the Latin “periodus” meaning “recurring cycle.” Use of the English term “period” to describe menstruation began in the early 1800s (1).

Some non-human animal species do menstruate – for example apes, old-world monkeys, elephant shrews (above), many bats and a single rodent: the spiny mouse. Many others have menstrual cycles, but reabsorb the old womb-lining rather than bleed it out.

Little Emily Dover was still a toddler when she developed breast buds, strong body odour and cystic acne - to her parents' shock. She started menstruating at just four years old and, within the past 12 months, has grown hair on her forehead, back and vagina.