Confused about your period? Need a no-frills, easy-to-understand guide to Auntie Flo? Then prepare to get educated as one girl swan-dives into the magical world of menstruation!

I’ve never liked having my period. And I don’t mean this in a ‘PMS sucks’ way either. Though PMS does suck, and if you’re one of the few women who don’t turn into Angry McWeepytears when you get your period, I cannot even begin to describe the depths of my jealousy. But I’ve never been one to pay much attention to my period – I’ve never tracked my cycle, or celebrated it. I don’t even remember when I started to get it! So, I think it goes without saying, I’ve never done any real research into it, or even understood my period. Apart from the whole it-helps-you-have-babies thing.

A side effect of this lack of interest has meant that for years, I’ve had very little understanding of the magical world of menstruation. Recently, I picked up a booklet on menstruation and other sexual health issues (like contraceptives and the like), mostly because it had a pretty cover. When I started flicking through it, I very quickly discovered the extent of what I didn’t know. So I thought that I might as well pass my new-found knowledge onto you.

So, here’s my no-frills guide to understanding your period!

The Magical World of Menstruation

So menstruation can be a tricky thing to understand, so I’ll try to keep it as simple as possible. Basically, your period is caused by two hormones in your body: the follicle-stimulating hormone (or FSH) and the luteinizing hormone (LH). FSH and LH make your body mature eggs, or ovum, which is what a baby will become if you get pregnant. When an egg fully matures, it means that it’s ready to be fertilized – when an egg is unfertilized, that’s when your body starts making chemical signals to bring on your period.

When FSH and LH make an egg mature, the ovary that held it releases it into your fallopian tube, which then moves the egg to your uterus. At this time, another hormone called progesterone, prepares your uterus to look after the egg. If the egg is fertilized, more progesterone is released – if not, then the level of progesterone drops, and that’s what causes you to have your period.

The whole process, or cycle, can take anywhere from 23 to 35 days – it’s different from person to person, but the average is around 28 days.

A Cycle Ain’t Just a Bicycle!

When folks talk about your cycle, they’re referring to your period, and its circular nature. Your period is made up of three phases: the menstrual phase, the proliferative phase and the secretory phase.
The menstrual phase is the first day of your period, as well as the first phase of your cycle. This phase will last anywhere from a couple of days to over a week, and a light or heavy flow are both considered normal.

The proliferative phase brings on a hormone called estrogen, which starts to kick your uterus into gear in preparation for another egg. In this phase, the egg is also released from the ovary, and starts to travel to the uterus. You can tell you’re in this phase as your vaginal secretions (you can see this on your undies!) might be a little thicker than usual. You might also get some cramps.

The secretory phase comes right after you’ve ovulated. This is when you’re most easily able to get pregnant, since your hormone levels are pretty high and looking to nurture a fertilized egg. At this time, your vaginal secretions will be a little thinner, which is to make the best possible environment for sperm. After a while you’ll have your period, and start the whole cycle over again.

PMS and the Rise of Fury McCrankyface

Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) is one of the most well-known aspects of your period. It’s something that I know too well: I almost always have food cravings, cramps, a charming outbreak of acne and usually at least one temper tantrum that ends in tears.

The symptoms that women can get differ heaps, but the following is a list of symptoms you can end up experiencing:

Yeah, none of these things are fun, but did you know you totally do not have to put up with these symptoms? There are plenty of ways to manage PMS, including changing your diet (like cutting back on sugar, salt and caffeine), exercising more often, taking supplements and getting more sleep. You can also talk to your doctor about using the Pill, or even explore other medications to reduce specific symptoms, like nausea and muscle aches and pains.

When Things Just Aren’t Right

Every person’s period is going to be different, because we don’t all run on the same clock. But having irregular or no periods at all, extremely painful periods or other similar problems can point to a medical issue, so it’s important that if you’re in doubt you should meet with your doctor.
There are also a few pretty serious health issues that are linked with your reproductive health, so it’s important to be aware of what they are so you know what to look for.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common health issues among women, affecting around 1 in 10 women. PCOS occurs when the ovaries create too many male hormones, called androgens, which can cause small cysts on your ovaries. This can be caused by the body releasing too much LH, or because of high levels of insulin in the blood.
The symptoms of PCOS are pretty vague, and can include acne, obesity, excess hair growth and irregular or absent periods. PCOS can affect any woman who is able to have kids, which is roughly from ages 12 to 45. The long-term health risks can include infertility, being less sensitive to insulin (which can lead to a risk of diabetes and heart disease) and uterine cancer.

PCOS has varying ranges of severity and depends on what sort of symptoms you have. Changing your diet and exercising more often can help with PCOS; other treatments include progestins, oral contraceptives like the Pill, or anti-androgens. These can all help to re-balance your hormone levels.

Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is a serious illness which is usually linked with using tampons. The fact is that TSS can be linked to a number of different things such as contraceptive sponges, diaphragms, or through infection from cuts or surgery. It’s caused by bacteria which produces toxins. When a person’s immune system can’t fight these toxins, the immune system reacts, and this leads to TSS.

The signs of TSS can include a high fever, feeling lightheaded or fainting, rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle weakness or seizures. TSS is considered a medical emergency, and can lead to kidney and organ failure. If you think someone may have TSS, you should call 000.
To prevent TSS, avoiding tampons and using pads instead is a good way to avoid this illness. If you prefer using tampons, select the lowest absorbency possible and change them frequently. You can even try alternating between pads and tampons.

Wrapping Up

Well, hopefully you learned something new, and understand a bit more about what’s happening with your body! If you still have questions, feel free to leave a comment below, or try chatting with your doctor. There’s also some great sites that have lots of free info on menstruation, including Scarleteen, Understanding You, as well as right here on Tune In Not Out!

Keen to learn more about the wonders of menstruation? Tune in next time for an awesome article by another contributor about alternatives to tampons and disposable pads!

You can also check out this quite amusing animation – can you watch without singing? ” blob, blob, blob, blob, blob..blob..blob….

This blog was written by Alexis a member of Youth Education.YEP (Youth Educating Peers) Crew is a WA-based group of young people who aim to address the issue of STIs and BBVs (Blood-Borne Viruses) in the community by actively engaging with young people and encouraging them to make safer and informed choices. They educate young people through a range of activities, from designing resources (check them out here!), running campaigns and competitions, doing outreach at events and schools, and engaging young people online through Facebook and other websites like Reachout and TINO. You can learn more about them by liking them on Facebook!

Image Reference:
Bike: Martin Ujlaki from Flickr Creative Commons

Tags: aunt flo, menstruation, periods