Menstruation is a cyclical discharging of blood, secretions, and tissue debris from the uterus that recurs in nonpregnant breeding-age primate females at approximately monthly intervals and that is considered to represent a readjustment of the uterus to the nonpregnant state following proliferative changes accompanying the preceding ovulation.
The lining of the womb is where a pregnancy will be supported and grow if fertilisation of an egg by a sperm takes place. It is necessary for the endometrium to thicken to allow the fertilised egg to implant. If this does not take place, the womb lining will shed to allow growth of new endometrium for the next menstrual cycle. Menstruation is necessary to prevent build-up of the endometrium. However, the endometrium will not build up if a woman is using hormonal contraceptives (e.g. the pill or a contraceptive implant), is pregnant or exclusively breastfeeding. In these instances, it can be normal to not menstruate.
Very few other species menstruate. In fact, it is limited to women, old world primates, the elephant shrew, the fruit bat and one specific type of mouse. All other animals reabsorb their endometrium if pregnancy does not occur. We do not fully understand why some species have to menstruate.
If not properly managed, menstruation can interrupt daily life. Adolescents especially experience extremely painful periods which can affect their attendance and performance at school. A lack of adequate facilities and materials, restrictions on girls’ movements during their period and feeling ashamed or ‘unclean’ also contribute to girls skipping school.
Taboos, myths and shame surrounding menstruation can lead to teasing, shaming and exclusion from daily activities and have a negative effect on girls’ feelings of dignity.
Every woman’s cycle (the time from the first day of your menstrual period until the first day of your next menstrual period) is different. On average, a woman has her menstrual period for 3–7 days. The average length of a woman’s cycle is 28–32 days. This leaves plenty of room for a woman to vary from her neighbor, friend, or co-worker. Women also vary in the severity of symptoms that occur before and during menstruation.
Can You Get Pregnant on Your Period? According americanpregnancy.org The answer is yes and no. Most likely you will not get pregnant having sex during your period.
Apart from being messier and less desirable, having sex during your period will more than likely not result in getting pregnant. That’s because your ovulation is several days away decreasing any chances of conceiving during this time.
