Puberty and Periods Health Information

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Learn About Puberty and Periods:


Girls usually begin to go through puberty usually between the ages of 8 and 13. When this happens their bodies and minds change in many ways. The hormones in their bodies stimulate new physical development, such as growth and breast development. About 2 to 2 1/2 years after a girl's breasts begin to develop, she usually gets her first menstrual period.

The start of a period is known as menarche. Menarche begins only when all the parts of a girl's reproductive system have matured and are working together.

How does the menstration work?

About once a month, a tiny egg leaves one of the ovaries - a process called ovulation - and travels down one of the fallopian tubes toward the uterus. In the days before ovulation, the hormone estrogen stimulates the uterus to build up its lining with extra blood and tissue, making the walls of the uterus thick and cushioned. This happens to prepare the uterus for pregnancy: If the egg reaches the uterus and is fertilized by a sperm cell, it attaches to the cushiony wall of the uterus, where it slowly develops into a baby.

If the egg isn't fertilized, though - which is the case during most of a girl's monthly cycles - it doesn't attach to the wall of the uterus. When this happens, the uterus sheds the extra tissue lining. The blood, tissue, and unfertilized egg leave the uterus, going through the vagina on the way out of the body. This is a menstrual period. This cycle happens almost every month for several more decades (except, of course, when a female is pregnant) until a woman reaches menopause and no longer releases eggs from her ovaries.

How long do periods last?

The amount of time that a girl has her period varies. Some girls have periods that last just 2 or 3 days; other girls may have periods that last 7 days or longer. The menstrual flow - meaning how much blood comes out of the vagina - can vary widely from person to person. Some girls have such light blood flow that they wonder if they even have their period at all.

Some facts about periods:
  • Menstrual cramps are pretty common - in fact, more than half of all women who menstruate say they have cramps during the first few days of their periods. Doctors think that cramps are caused by prostaglandins, a chemical that causes the muscles of the uterus to contract.
  • Some girls and women find that they feel depressed or easily irritated during the few days or week before their periods. Others may get angry more quickly than normal or cry more than usual. Some girls crave certain foods. These types of emotional changes may be the result of premenstrual syndrome, or PMS.
  • PMS is related to changes in the body's hormones. As hormone levels rise and fall during a woman's menstrual cycle, they can affect the way she feels, both emotionally and physically.
  • Periods shouldn't get in the way of exercising, having fun, and enjoying life. There are so many products out there that it may take some experimenting before you find the one that works best for you. Some girls use only pads, some use only tampons, and some girls switch around - tampons during the day and pads at night. Girls who are very active, particularly girls who enjoy swimming, often find that tampons are the best option during sports.

Symptoms of Puberty and Periods:

To get an idea of when a girl may be due to start her period, about 6 months or so before getting her first period she may notice an increased amount of clear vaginal discharge. This is common and there is no need to worry unless it has a strong odor and causes itchiness.

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