MENSTRUATION

GHINA SITI RAMADHANTY / XII-BAHASA

Menstruation is the periodic discharge of blood and mucosal tissue (the endometrium) from the uterus and vagina. It starts at menarche at or before sexual maturity (maturation), in females of certain mammalian species, and ceases at or near menopause (commonly considered the end of a female's reproductive life). The periodicity of menstruation gives rise to commonly used euphemisms like "period" and "monthly".

Women typically stop menstruating if they conceive or if they are breastfeeding. When menstruation stops for longer than about 90 days in the absence of pregnancy or breastfeeding, a medical evaluation should occur, as a number of health problems can result in absent menstruation. Menstruation lasts from puberty until menopause among non-pregnant women.

The first experience of a menstrual period occurs after the onset of

pubertal growth, and is called menarche. The average age of menarche is around 12–13 (occurring earlier in African American than Caucasian girls), but menarche can typically occur between ages 9 and 15. Premature or delayed menarche should be investigated; many older sources state that this should be done if menarche begins before 10 yrs or is delayed after 16 years, while newer, more evidence-based sources state that it should be done if menarche begins before 9 yrs, if menarche has not begun by age 15, if there is no breast development by age 13, or if there is no period by 3 years after the onset of breast development.Perimenopause is when fertility in a female declines, and menstruation may occur less regularly in the years leading up to the final menstrual period, when a female stops menstruating completely and is no longer fertile. The medical definition of menopause is one year without a period, and typically occurs between the late 40s and early 50s in Western countries.

Regular menstruation (also called eumenorrhea) lasts for a few days, usually 3 to 5 days, but anywhere from 2 to 7 days is considered normal. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days long from the first day of one menstrual period to the first day of the next. A normal menstrual cycle in adult women is between 21 and 35 days. In adolescents, there is wider variation, and cycles are normally between 21 and 45 days. Menstrual symptoms occurring in the time prior to menstruation, such as breast pain, swelling, bloating, acne are termed premenstrual molimina .

The average volume of menstrual fluid during a monthly menstrual period is 35 milliliters (2.4 tablespoons of menstrual fluid) with 10–80 milliliters (1–6 tablespoons of menstrual fluid) considered typical. Menstrual fluid is the correct name for the menstrual flow, although many people prefer to refer to it as menstrual blood. Menstrual fluid in fact contains some blood, as well as cervical mucus, vaginal secretions, and endometrial tissue. Menstrual fluid is reddish-brown, a slightly darker color than venous blood.

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