Women's Reproductive Health: Menstruation

Introduction

There are many aspects that play a role in the reproductive health of a person.

In a woman's case, one of the most apparent sign of reproductive health and well-being is menstruation.

Every women needs to go through with having their "monthly" period. It is a clear sign that they had reached womanhood and their body is now able to conceive.

When a female reaches her teen years, or in some cases even before then, she will inevitably need to deal with menstruation. Menstruation is part of having a healthy reproductive health. It is actually the cyclic occurrence of bleeding in the uterine lining at the end of puberty.

Most girls experience their first period when they reach 12 or 13 years of age. There are occurrences though of girls having it as early as age 8 or as late as age 15. It is important to take note that if a girl doesn't have her first period by the age of 16, a doctor needs to be consulted.

Understanding Menstruation

Reproductive health menstruation will usually occur two and a half years after girls start having breast and growing underarm and pubic hair.

Once menstruation starts, it will continue throughout the teen years and adulthood until the female reaches her 50's. Reproductive health will usually be on a decline at this point because women will no longer be able to conceive.

There is also some surgically-induced menopause that is practiced by women who no longer want to have kids or who need to do it for medical reasons. Surgical menopause affects reproductive health because it involves the removal of ovaries in the hysterectomy procedure.

Other things that might affect your reproductive health include the use of hormonal contraceptives, pregnancy, and amenorrhea. But menstruation basically occurs regularly and predictably for most women.

However, if something goes wrong (excessive bleeding, irregular monthly cycle), this might be an indication that there is a serious underlying reproductive health problems.

And aside from the physical symptoms, there are also emotional and psychological symptoms that might be associated with menstruation problems as well.

Take note that if you experience painful menstruation that involves other related health symptoms, you might be suffering from reproductive health disorder without knowing it.

Common menstruation disorders

A lot of women experience abnormal uterine bleeding during their menstruation period. Usually, the bleeding can be cured by visiting the doctor unless there is a more serious medical condition that needs to be addressed.

Other reproductive health disorders that occur during menstruation include premenstrual syndrome, dysmenorrhea, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) among others.

What your doctor should know

It is essential to inform your doctor once you have your first reproductive health menstruation period. This is particularly because that point will have a significant impact on your reproductive health for many years.

It is recommended for you to have a menstruation calendar since having a reproductive health calendar that has an accurate record of your menstrual period will help your doctor diagnose any disorders that might arise in the future as well.