A periods (menstruation) is typical vaginal bleeding that occurs as part of a healthy monthly cycle for women who have a uterus and ovaries.
In the years between puberty (which normally occurs between the ages of 11 and 14) and menopause (which typically occurs around the age of 51), your body prepares itself for conception on a monthly basis. Your uterine lining thickens, and at the same time, one of your eggs matures and is released from one of your ovaries.
In the case that a pregnancy does not take place, estrogen and progesterone levels will decrease, and they will eventually reach a point where they signal the body to start menstruating. When you get your period, the lining of the uterus sheds and is expelled from the body along with some blood through the vagina. This process is known as menstruation.
During their menstruation, women who menstruate shed roughly two to three tablespoons’ worth of blood on average.
The average amount of time that passes between periods (from the first day of the last period to the first day of the next period) is 28 days, and bleeding typically lasts between 4 and 5 days. However, it is possible for a person to have completely “regular” periods despite having a longer time between periods, fewer days of bleeding, or more days of bleeding than usual.
Why do women have periods?
When you are a woman, you get your period because your body is trying to get rid of tissue that it no longer requires. Your body becomes ready for pregnancy a little bit more each month.
In preparation for caring for an embryo that has been fertilized, the lining of your uterus will become more robust. You will experience the release of an egg that is now available to be fertilized and implanted in the lining of your uterus.
If the egg does not become fertilized, your body will no longer require the thicker lining of the uterus; hence, it will begin to break down and will eventually be evacuated from your vagina along with some blood if this occurs. This is your period, and after it is through, the cycle will begin once more from the beginning.
Menstrual disorders
There is a vast range of variation in the menstrual experiences of different women. If you are concerned about any of the following, it is essential that you discuss them with your healthcare provider:
- Consistency in the cycle. Is it consistent from month to month? Irregular? Absent?
- The length of the time. Is it a lengthy process? Typical? Shortened?
- the amount of flow throughout a menstrual cycle. Is it a heavy object? Typical? Light?
Is it possible to stop my period?
There is no way that can absolutely guarantee that you will not have periods, but according to an article that was published in the International Journal of Women’s Health in 2014, there are a variety of birth control methods that can help suppress your cycle. Some of these methods include:
Pills used to prevent births
If you take birth control tablets on a daily basis, after one year you will have a chance of suppressing your cycle that is approximately 70 percent.
Injection of hormones
Your fertility may be affected for up to 22 months after receiving a hormone shot. After one year, you will have approximately a 50 to 60 percent probability of suppressing your cycle; after two years, that chance will increase to approximately 70 percent.
Hormonal IUD.
After one year of using a hormonal intrauterine device (IUD), the chances of successfully suppressing your cycle are approximately fifty percent.
Arm implant
After two years, the chances of a birth control implant implanted in the upper arm successfully suppressing a woman’s cycle are approximately twenty percent.
Not all women have periods.
For a woman to have regular periods, the following need to be functioning properly:
- hypothalamus
- pituitary gland
- ovaries
- uterus
Keypoints
Your periods is an entirely natural event. It’s your body’s way of preparing for pregnancy. Every month when you are not pregnant, your body excretes tissue that it no longer need to nourish a fertilized egg.
Consult your doctor or gynecologist if you notice any changes in your monthly regularity, frequency, duration, or volume.