Health encyclopaedia

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Periods

Your period is a bleed from the vagina that happens approximately every 28 days (between 24 and 35 days is common).

Your periods will usually start somewhere between the ages of 9- 16 years, most commonly between 12 and 13 years. They continue until the menopause, which is usually between 45 and 55 years.

As a baby girl you are born with all your eggs stored in follicles (sacs) in your ovary . As puberty begins, your body begins to produce hormones that cause your eggs to mature. This is the beginning of your first menstrual cycle .

Having periods is part of the female reproductive cycle. Your cycle begins on the first day of bleeding and continues up to, but not including, the first day of your next period.

During a cycle various changes occur in your body. These are caused by the variations in the amount of various hormones, which are produced by your body at different times of your cycle.

• Symptoms
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