| |
Sexual Health Centre
How Female Bodies Work |
The Menstrual Cycle
 |
A woman's periods usually start in her early teens.
|
Changes in a woman's hormones that happen every
month direct her body to release a tiny egg or ovum. The different
stages
in the production of this ovum are used to describe a woman's menstrual
cycle. On average, the body produces an ovum once every 28 days and this
is the average length of a menstrual cycle. Some women have longer or
shorter cycles.
A woman's menstrual cycle begins with her period. To measure your own menstrual
cycle, record the date of the first day you see blood during your period. The time
from the first bleeding day of one period to the first bleeding day of the next period
is the length of your menstrual cycle.
Women usually begin having periods in their early teens, but a woman's periods can start
as early as age 9 or as late as 16 or 17. Having a period means that a woman's menstrual
cycles have begun and that she can become pregnant if the ovum she releases combines with
a man's sperm.
Changes in your Cycle
Sometimes a woman's cycles are irregular, which means they come at a different time every month. This is particularly common for teenagers, however most women miss a period or experience other variations in their cycle at some point in their lives. You might miss a period because:
- you are pregnant
- your body is still maturing
- you are under stress at work, home or school
- you are approaching menopause
- you've been exercising vigorously
- you've lost a lot of weight in a short period of time
- you have a hormone disorder
- you've been using prescription or street drugs
Although some of these changes are part of a woman's natural life cycle it is
always wise to discuss changes in your menstrual cycle with your doctor.
Back to index
|
 |
