Most women experience menstruation or menstrual bleeding before they reach 16 years of age. Menstruation only happens to non-pregnant women. If pregnancy doesn't develop, the body then resorts to removing a woman's uterus lining. This happens every month and lasts for about 3 to 5 days.

Health Concerns Related to Menstruation

Certain problems are linked to menstruation such as dysmenorrhea or severe menstrual cramps. Dysmenorrhea is caused by several factors. For instance, dysmenorrhea among teenagers is caused by having excessive amounts of prostaglandin, while dysmenorrhea among adults is due to endometriosis or uterine fibroids. There are certain medications that ease this condition, but usually women are advised to resort to usual methods such as relaxing and taking baths to counter the uncomfortable feeling. Meanwhile, there is also a condition called amenorrhea. Women with amenorrhea do not experience monthly menstruation period. If a certain woman has not yet experienced bleeding at the age of 15 or has had menstruation but it remarkably stopped for about 90 days or more, she is considered to be suffering from amenorrhea. This condition is caused by certain disorders such as illnesses related to the production of hormones, weight loss, or abnormalities in the reproductive organ.

Menstrual Hygiene

Sanitary pads are used to absorb the menstrual blood coming from the vagina. It is advisable that women change their pads four times a day or whenever necessary. Take note that some women change their pads more often than the others since these women likewise tend to release more amount of blood.