A lot of girls find asking themselves every month: What are periods? Every month a sexually mature female’s ovary releases an egg cell that travels towards the uterus through the Fallopian tube. The uterus prepares for a possible pregnancy by developing a uterine lining made of tissue and blood vessels. This lining is called endometrium.
If the egg is not fertilized and pregnancy does not occur, the uterine lining is shed and it exits the body through the vagina as a mixture of blood and tissue over a course of 3 to 7 days. This is called menstruation (pronounced: mens-troo-A-shun) or a period. The cycle starts over again with an egg that begins to mature in one of the ovaries. This cycle is called menstrual cycle and is generally 25 to 35 days long.
On an average a period lasts between 3 to 5 days. It is normal for a girl to have irregular periods in the beginning. During this time, the duration of her periods may vary from as short as 2 days to as long as 7 days. It can take up to a year for periods to become regular.
Discover more articles about menstruation :
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What are menstrual myths ?
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The unspeakable truth about menstruation
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Menstruation: “what is so gross about it?”
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How important is it for a girl and woman to be aware of her body ?
Sources: http://menstrupedia.com/