Myths and Facts About Menstrual Bleeding

The menstrual cycle is normal to almost all women between puberty and menopause when they can have children. Even so, there are still a lot of wrong ideas about menstruation. This could be because many women and men don’t like talking about it. Take this quiz to see if you can distinguish between facts and myths about your period.

What is bleeding during your period?

Menstruation happens when the lining of the uterus sheds.

Or is it true?

Answer: Fact!

Every month, a woman’s body gets ready for pregnancy. If pregnancy doesn’t happen, the lining of the uterus falls off, and the woman’s period starts. Blood from a woman’s period comes out of the uterus through the cervix and then leaves the body through the vagina.

Is the blood from a period just blood?

Menstrual blood is made up of blood and extra tissue from the uterus lining. It can also have parts of the egg that didn’t get fertilized from the ovary to the uterus during ovulation.

Is menorrhagia a sign if you soak through a pad or tampon?

When you have your period, bleeding that soaks through a pad or tampon is usually a sign of “heavy” bleeding.

Or is it true?

Myths and facts about having your period

The menstrual cycle is normal to almost all women between puberty and menopause when they can have children. Even so, there are still a lot of wrong ideas about menstruation. This could be because many women and men don’t like talking about it. Take this quiz to see if you can distinguish between facts and myths about your period.

What is bleeding during your period?

Menstruation happens when the lining of the uterus sheds.

Or is it true?

Answer: Fact!

What is bleeding from the uterus?

Every month, a woman’s body gets ready for pregnancy. If pregnancy doesn’t happen, the lining of the uterus falls off, and the woman’s period starts. Blood from a woman’s period comes out of the uterus through the cervix and then leaves the body through the vagina.

Is the blood from a period just blood?

is menstrual blood just blood

Menstrual blood comprises more than just blood; it also has tissue in it.

Or is it true?

Answer: Fact!

is menstrual blood just blood

Menstrual blood is made up of blood and extra tissue from the uterus lining. It can also have parts of the egg that didn’t get fertilized from the ovary to the uterus during ovulation.

Is menorrhagia a sign if you soak through a pad or tampon?

Is it a sign of menorrhagia if you soak through a pad?

When you have your period, bleeding that soaks through a pad or tampon is usually a sign of “heavy” bleeding.

Or is it true?

Answer: Myth!

It’s not unusual to soak through a pad or tampon once. Most of the time, you need to switch from a regular pad or tampon to a “super” pad or tampon on days when your flow is heavier. Even though it may seem like you’re losing a lot of blood during your period, most women only lose about 2 to 3 tablespoons total. But sometimes, bleeding can be too heavy or last too long. The Mayo Clinic says that you have menorrhagia if you soak through pads or tampons every hour for several hours, double up on sanitary protection, and wake up in the middle of the night to change it bleed for more than seven days, or have signs of anemia.

Who has heavy periods?

Women who have given birth are the only ones who get heavy bleeding.

Or is it true?

Answer: Myth!

Menorrhagia is usually caused by an imbalance in hormones that leads to cycles without ovulation (menstrual cycles without ovulation). If an egg doesn’t get released during the normal ovulation stage, there won’t be enough progesterone in the body to keep the cycle regular. This can cause heavy menstrual bleeding. Menorrhagia is most likely to happen to teenage girls who just started having periods and women in their 40s and 50s who are getting close to menopause.

Can women’s periods get in sync with each other?

When women and girls live together, their periods might come simultaneously.

Or is it true?

Answer: Fact!

Even though it’s true that women who live together may get their periods at the same time, there isn’t much scientific evidence to back up the idea that living together causes menstrual synchrony. In 1971, Martha McClintock, a psychologist at the University of Chicago, published a paper with her theory that women’s bodies react to other women’s pheromones, which causes menstruation to happen at the same time every month. This is where the idea came from. In 1998, she did a follow-up study that helped prove her theory. But other scientists have tested McClintock’s theory, and the results are still unclear. Women who live together sometimes get their periods simultaneously, but it might just be a coincidence.

Should You Work Out When You Have Your Period?

Women shouldn’t work out or do hard things when they have their periods.

Or is it true?

Answer: Myth!

Suppose you don’t have severe cramping (dysmenorrhea) or a lot of blood flow (menorrhagia) that keeps you from being active. There’s no reason to stop exercising or doing other physically demanding things when you have your period. Your period is a normal thing that your body does. It is not a disability. Many health experts recommend exercise during menstruation to help ease cramps. Aerobic activity, like walking, jogging, cycling, dancing, or swimming, makes chemicals that help block pain.

What is the average length of a period?

Normal menstrual periods can last anywhere from two to seven days.

Or is it true?

Answer: Fact!

Most periods last between three and five days, but they can be as short as two days or as long as seven days without causing any problems. This is called menstrual irregularity. But if you only get your period for one day or if it lasts longer than a week, you should talk to your doctor because it could mean something is wrong. The average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, but it can last from 21 to 35 days for women and 21 to 45 days for teenage girls. Women who use birth control have lighter periods or don’t come at all.

Can a woman get pregnant while she is on her period?

You can’t get pregnant during your period.

Or is it true?

Answer: Myth!

Even though it’s not likely, you could still get pregnant while you’re on your period. If you get pregnant during your period, it’s most likely because you either have a very short menstrual cycle or a long one in which your ovulation stage is close to when your period starts. About 24 hours is how long an egg stays in your fallopian tube, waiting to be fertilized. If sperm is there during that time, and sperm can live for 3 to 4 days, you could get pregnant.

Do Heavy Periods Need to Worry You?

Heavy bleeding during your period is nothing to worry about.

Or is it true?

Answer: Myth!

The amount of blood flow varies from woman to woman, and it can also change at different times during a woman’s menstrual cycle. It is normal for the flow to be heavier on some days than others. But menorrhagia, abnormally heavy menstrual bleeding, is a cause for concern because it can lead to problems like iron-deficiency anemia or dysmenorrhea (severely painful menstrual cramps). It can “cramp” your lifestyle by making you less interested in or physically able to do everyday things. It can also make you feel weak, tired, and self-conscious. Heavy periods can also signify something else wrong, like polyps or an infection. If your heavy periods make your life hard every month, see a doctor find out what’s wrong and what you can do about it.

Does PMS come from your mind?

PMS is not a real medical condition.

Or is it true?

Answer: Myth!

PMS, or premenstrual syndrome, is a real syndrome, although women often use it to explain their bad moods or chocolate cravings before their periods. It has some symptoms that usually start a week or two before your period and go away by the time your period starts. Experts at the Mayo Clinic say that about three out of every four women who have their period have PMS physical and/or emotional symptoms. PMS symptoms often include breast tenderness, acne, bloating or weight gain, headaches, joint pain, fatigue, food cravings, mood swings, depression, anxiety, irritability, etc. Changing their lifestyle, taking medicine, or taking vitamin or herbal supplements can help many women and girls with PMS.

 

The information in this article was interpreted from the following artifact: