Menstruation Also called: Menses, Menstrual period, Period Summary Menstruation, or period, is normal vaginal bleeding that occurs as part of a woman’s monthly cycle. Every month, your body prepares for pregnancy. If no pregnancy occurs, the uterus, or womb, sheds its lining. The menstrual blood is partly blood and partly tissue from inside the uterus. It passes out of the body through the vagina. Periods usually start between age 11 and 14 and continue until menopause at about age 51. They usually last from three to five days. Besides bleeding from the vagina, you may have Abdominal or pelvic cramping Lower back pain Bloating and sore breasts Food cravings Mood swings and irritability Headache and fatigue Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, is a group of symptoms that start before the period. It can include emotional and physical symptoms. Consult your health care provider if you have big changes in your cycle. They may be signs of other problems that should be treated. NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Related Issues Adenomyosis Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Bleeding Disorders in Women Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Delaying Your Period with Birth Control Pills Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Noncontraceptive Benefits of Birth Control Pills American Society for Reproductive Medicine Toxic Shock Syndrome Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Children All about Menstruation (For Children) Nemours Foundation Five Things Girls Want to Know about Periods Nemours Foundation Getting Your Period Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Pads and Tampons Nemours Foundation Period Cramps Nemours Foundation Talking to Your Child about Menstruation Nemours Foundation When Will I Get My Period? 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National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Specifics Amenorrhea Hormone Health Network Amenorrhea National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Dysmenorrhea: Painful Periods American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (Menorrhagia) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Menorrhagia (Heavy Menstrual Bleeding) Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Menstrual Cramps Children’s Hospital Boston Menstrual Cramps (Dysmenorrhea) Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Mittelschmerz Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research What Causes Menstrual Irregularities? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Array Amenorrhea – primary Endometrial ablation Mittelschmerz Painful menstrual periods Secondary amenorrhea Treatments and Therapies Black Cohosh National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Chasteberry National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Endometrial Ablation American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists What Are the Common Treatments for Menstrual Irregularities? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development What Are the Treatments for Amenorrhea? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Amenorrhea National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Dysmenorrhea National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Menstruation Disturbances National Institutes of Health Teenagers Coping with Common Period Problems Nemours Foundation Feeling Fresh Nemours Foundation Female Athlete Triad Nemours Foundation Irregular Periods Nemours Foundation Medical Uses of the Birth Control Pill Children’s Hospital Boston Menstrual Disorders American Academy of Pediatrics Problem Periods Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Toxic Shock Syndrome Nemours Foundation Using Your First Tampon Children’s Hospital Boston Your First Period American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Your Menstrual Cycle Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Encyclopedia Endometrial biopsy Prolactin blood test Diagnosis and Tests Estrogen Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone) Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry How Do Health Care Providers Diagnose Menstrual Irregularities? National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Menstrual Cycle Problems American Academy of Family Physicians Reference Desk Female Reproductive System Nemours Foundation Health Check Tools Heavy Menstrual Bleeding DSHI Systems Irregular Menstrual Periods DSHI Systems Images Menstrual Cycle Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Find an Expert National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institute of Child Health and Human Development womenshealth.gov Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Journal Articles Menstrual cycle Menstrual disorders Latest News Base Quit-Smoking Day on Menstrual Cycle? HealthDay
