I had an interesting conversation with the Mexico City United Nations portal about Menstrual health. One aspect of this meeting that caught my attention was gaining insight into menstrual health, learning about what signs to watch for, and discovering ways to uphold a healthy lifestyle while staying informed about my reproductive system. So Let's talk about it!!
Menstruation is the monthly shedding of the lining of your uterus. Menses, menstrual period, menstrual cycle or period are also known as menstruation. Menstrual blood — which is partly blood and tissue from the inside of your uterus — flows from your uterus through your cervix and out of your body through your vagina.
Pregnancy begins with implantation, where the embryo embeds itself in the uterus's endometrium. The endometrium evolves to make implantation challenging so that only healthy embryos survive. When an embryo fails this test, it might still attach or partially embed itself. As it dies, it could leave the mother vulnerable to infection and disrupt her tissues with hormonal signals. To avoid this, the body removes all risks by shedding the endometrial lining, along with any unfertilised eggs, sick, dying, or dead embryos. This protective process is called menstruation.
What is a menstrual cycle?
At puberty, a child's body begins to mature into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction; the first period (called menarche) occurs at around 12 years of age and continues for about 30–45 years. Menstrual cycles end at menopause, usually between 45 and 55.
The menstrual cycle is a term to describe the sequence of events that occur in your body as it prepares for the possibility of pregnancy each month. Your menstrual cycle is from the first day of your menstrual period until the first day of your next menstrual period. Every person's cycle is slightly different, but the process is the same. A period is average if it's anywhere between three and seven days.
What are the four phases of the menstrual cycle?
The rise and fall of your hormones trigger the steps in your menstrual cycle. Your hormones cause the organs of your reproductive tract to respond in certain ways. The specific events that occur during your menstrual cycle are:The Menstruation Phase: Menstruation is commonly known as a period. When you menstruate, your uterus lining sheds and flows out of your vagina. Your period contains blood, mucus and some cells from the lining of your uterus. The average length of a period is three to seven days. Women use Sanitary pads, tampons, period underwear or menstrual cups to absorb their period. Pads and tampons must be changed regularly (preferably every three to four hours), and menstrual cups should be changed every eight to 12 hours.
The Follicular Phase: This phase begins on the day you get your period and lasts for 13 to 14 days, ending in ovulation (it overlaps with the menses phase and ends when you ovulate). During this time, the hormone estrogen level rises, which causes the lining of your uterus (the endometrium) to grow and thicken. In addition, another hormone — follicle-stimulating hormone (F.S.H.) — causes follicles in your ovaries to grow. During days 10 to 14, one of the developing follicles will form a fully mature egg (ovum).
The Ovulation Phase occurs roughly at about day 14 in a 28-day menstrual cycle. Ovulation is when a sudden increase in another hormone — luteinising hormone (L.H.) — causes a mature egg to be released from an ovary and move along a fallopian tube towards your uterus. Ovulation can last from 16 to 32 hours. It is possible to get pregnant five days before ovulation and on the day of ovulation, but it's more likely in the three days leading up to and including ovulation. Once the egg is released, it will survive up to 24 hours. If sperm reaches the egg during this time, you may get pregnant.
The Luteal Phase lasts from about day 15 to day 28. Your egg leaves your ovary and begins to travel through your fallopian tubes to your uterus. The cells in the ovary (the corpus luteum)release the hormone progesterone and a bit of estrogen to help prepare your uterine lining for pregnancy. Suppose the egg becomes fertilised by sperm and attaches itself to your uterine wall (implantation). In that case, the corpus luteum continues to produce progesterone, which maintains the thickened lining of the uterus, and you become pregnant. If pregnancy doesn't occur, the corpus luteum dies, estrogen and progesterone levels drop, the thick lining of your uterus sheds, and the menstruation phase begins again.
Conclusion
Understanding the menstrual cycle is crucial for breaking the stigma surrounding menstruation and promoting menstrual health. By spreading knowledge and fostering open conversations, we can ensure better access to menstrual hygiene products and create a safe and healthy environment for all girls and women.
Let's use National Menstrual Health Awareness Month to educate ourselves and others, support those who menstruate, and advocate for menstrual health and hygiene. Together, we can create a world where menstruation is understood and respected.