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Are you a teenage girl? You probably have started having a period. If you have not, you might be anxious about the subject or a bit concerned. The whole story about menstrual cycle and menstruation might seem a bit mysterious. In reality it is actually pretty complex but very interesting.
Menstruation is the outward proof that a girl is becoming a woman. Having a period means your body is functioning well and properly.
In different countries and in different geographical places girls have their first period at different ages. For example, in Nordic countries periods comes a little bit late in comparison with South countries. A girl can start her period anytime between the ages of eight and 15. In general, the first period starts about two years after breasts first start to grow. Beginning of the period depends also on general physical development of the girls. Usually well developed strong girls have their periods earlier. If you did not have your first period by
age 15-16, or if it has been more than two to three years since breast growth started – better visit your doctor for advice.
Important to know – if you start your sexual activities before having your period, be careful because easily you could become pregnant because even without having periods your ovaries still produce follicles.
Usually women have regular periods until menopause. Menopause occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, usually around age 50. In general the menopause means that a woman is no longer ovulating (producing eggs) and can no longer get pregnant. But sometimes women in menopause also could become pregnant because their ovaries still can produce viable eggs.
Very similar to menstruation, the menopause also can vary from woman to woman and these changes may take several years to occur. The period of time when women body begins its move into menopause is called the menopausal transition. The duration of the menopausal transition can last anywhere from two to eight years. Some women have early menopause because of surgery or other treatment, illness, or other reasons. If a woman doesn’t have a period for 90 days, she should see her doctor to check for pregnancy, early menopause, or other medical problems that can cause periods to stop or become irregular.
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