The Human Edition 1 | Page 16

Periods- no grammarBy: Zulema Medina

“UGH! It’s that time of the month again…where’s my Midol?!”

Having a “Period” is rather normal for a girl and it is only a sign to mark their physical change and prepares them for activities such as sex and pregnancy. This article will break the menstrual cycle down so it can be understood a lot easier.

When a baby girl is born she is born with 3 important body parts called the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the uterus. The ovaries are of an oval shape which contain thousands of ova or eggs, and sit in the lowest part of the abdomen called the pelvis. The female reproductive system also contains 2 fallopian tubes which are long and thin, and the uterus which is the organ that stretches to allow the female to produce a fetus during pregnancy which also helps with the delivery process. These 2 organs are also attached to the ovaries and form a V-shaped organ. As the young girl matures the pituitary gland releases hormones to the ovaries that stimulate other hormones called estrogen and progesterone. These hormones give effects on the body such as physical maturation, growth, and emotions.

About once a month a tiny egg escapes one of the ovaries (this process is called ovulation) and travels down the fallopian tube to the uterus. Before ovulation occurs, the estrogen hormone stimulates the uterus to build up a lining of tissue and blood, making its walls thick. The females body is now prepared for pregnancy at this point. If the tiny egg that is in the uterus happens to be fertilized by a sperm cell, it will travel to the thick and cushiony wall that has been built for it, where it will then develop slowly into a baby. Of course, if the egg is in fact not fertilized, it will not attach to the wall of the uterus, which in turn will activate the shedding of the tissue lining and blood from the uterus, through the girls vagina and out of the body.

Menstruation is the technical term for the period and for some could be very confusing being that the period could possibly begin when the young female begins puberty at a very young age (usually 8-13). When the young girl begins her puberty stage, her hormones begin to stimulate new physical development such as the development of the breasts, and effectively after, (2-2 1/2 years later) the female usually begins her first menstrual period.

The start of a period is also known as menarche,which happens when all the physical parts of the females reproductive system have matured and are ready to work together. The menstrual cycle will happen almost every month depending on the females unique cycle, unless pregnant or until menopause when the female will no longer have a period because eggs are no longer being released from the ovaries.

Unfortunately for some girls, their period is what could be called “irregular” meaning they don't have a set period every month when their cycle should be in play. This could be caused by a lack of iron in the body, which we need to produce blood, and or the young girl could be taking certain medication that could throw off the menstrual cycle. Another complication that could affect the natural pattern of the menstrual cycle is pregnancy, if you have an irregular period and are sexually active, you must be aware that keeping track of your body’s cycle has gone from important to being very cautious because missing a period is something regular for the young women (if that is the case). Lastly, one more thing that can throw off the menstrual cycle is stress. Stress is an ongoing feeling and occurrence in our everyday lives and it could even interfere with our body’s way of flushing out the bad (period).