What is Menstruation?
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Menstruation is a woman's monthly bleeding. When you
menstruate, your body sheds the lining of the uterus (womb). Menstrual blood
flows from the uterus through the small opening in the cervix and passes out of
the body through the vagina.
During your menstrual cycle you may experience the rise and fall of hormones which can result in emotional changes.
What is the menstrual cycle?
When periods come regularly, this is called the menstrual cycle. Having regular menstrual cycles is a sign that important parts of your body are working normally.
The menstrual cycle provides important body chemicals, called hormones, to keep you healthy.
It also prepares your body for pregnancy each month. A cycle is counted from the first day of 1 period to the first day of the next period. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days long. Periods for teenagers can last up to 5-7 days. Cycles can range anywhere from 21 to 45 days in young teens.
During your menstrual cycle you may experience the rise and fall of hormones which can result in emotional changes.
What is the menstrual cycle?
When periods come regularly, this is called the menstrual cycle. Having regular menstrual cycles is a sign that important parts of your body are working normally.
The menstrual cycle provides important body chemicals, called hormones, to keep you healthy.
It also prepares your body for pregnancy each month. A cycle is counted from the first day of 1 period to the first day of the next period. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days long. Periods for teenagers can last up to 5-7 days. Cycles can range anywhere from 21 to 45 days in young teens.
What happens during the menstrual cycle?
Part 1Starts with the first day of your period. This occurs after hormone levels drop at the end of the previous cycle, signaling blood and tissues lining the uterus (womb) to break down and shed from the body. Bleeding lasts about 5 days.
Part 4
Around Day 14 (in a 28-day cycle), hormones cause the mature follicle to burst and release an egg from the ovary, a process called ovulation.
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Part 2
Usually by Day 7, bleeding has stopped. Leading up to this time, hormones cause fluid-filled pockets called follicles to develop on the ovaries. Each follicle contains an egg.
Part 5
Over the next few days, the egg travels down the fallopian tube towards the uterus. If a sperm unites with the egg here, the fertilized egg will continue down the fallopian tube and attach to the lining of the uterus.
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Part 3
Between Day 7 and 14, one follicle will continue to develop and reach maturity. The lining of the uterus starts to thicken, waiting for a fertilized egg to implant there. The lining is rich in blood and nutrients.
Part 6
If the egg is not fertilized, hormone levels will drop around Day 25. This signals the next menstrual cycle to begin. The egg will break apart and be shed with the next period.
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