Learn all about getting your period from this Amaze Org video!
During puberty, young people begin to get their menstrual periods. Menstrual periods are when a small amount of blood and tissue leave the body through the vagina over the course of a few days. It happens about once every month, and can last between a couple of days and a week. Some people have cramps during their periods while others don’t. Using a maxi pad, tampon or menstrual cup is a common way to manage the blood that leaves the body during a period.
When someone gets their first period it signals that their body has begun ovulating and that if they have unprotected sex, they could become pregnant. Why?! Once a month a hormone in the brain signals the ovaries to release an egg or ovum. This is called ovulation. The hormone estrogen is also released to signal the uterus to build up its lining in case the egg is fertilized by a sperm (called fertilization) during sex. If an egg is not fertilized within 12 -24 hour after ovulation, the egg dies and disintegrates. Two weeks later, when the uterus realizes there is no fertilized egg, the “extra” lining of the uterus is released or shed during a menstrual period.