Menstruation: days and years
How many days it lasts, and when it begins and stops.
A phase of the cycle
In each menstrual cycle there is a phase called menstruation, when blood is discharged from the body. It is a natural process.
How long do you think menstruation lasts in one cycle?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Menstruation is the phase of the menstrual cycle when blood is discharged from the body, lasting three to seven days; it begins at puberty and stops naturally by about 45–55 years, ending reproductive capability.
A phase of the cycle
In each menstrual cycle there is a phase called menstruation, when blood is discharged from the body. It is a natural process.
How long do you think menstruation lasts in one cycle?
- About one day only
- A few days
- Several weeks
Days and years
In One cycle, press + and − to change the days of menstruation. Then open Through life and slide the age past 55 years.
Menstruation
Menstruation is the phase of the menstrual cycle when blood is discharged from the body. It may last three to seven days. It begins at puberty and stops naturally by about 45 to 55 years, which ends the reproductive capability in a woman's life.
Menstruation is a natural process. Wrong beliefs and myths about it have no scientific basis.
- Menstruation | What the book says
- What it is | the phase of the cycle when blood is discharged from the body
- How long | it may last three to seven days
- When it begins | at puberty
- When it stops | naturally, by about 45 to 55 years of age
Notes
Menstruation is the phase of the menstrual cycle when blood is discharged from the body. It lasts three to seven days, begins at puberty and stops naturally by about 45 to 55 years, ending the reproductive capability.
Check yourself
How long may menstruation last?
In the picture a 28-day cycle has 7 days of menstruation. How many days of the cycle are left after menstruation?
Answer: 21
21 days: 28 − 7 = 21. These are the rest of the cycle.
By about what age does menstruation stop naturally?
Which statement about menstruation is right?
- About one day only. It may last longer than that: three to seven days.
- Three to seven days — correct. Yes! Menstruation may last three to seven days.
- Two to three weeks or more. That is far too long. It may last three to seven days.
- By about 30 years of age. The cycle keeps recurring at that age. Menstruation stops much later.
- By about 19 years of age. That is where adolescence ends. Menstruation goes on much longer.
- By about 45 to 55 years of age — correct. Yes! This ends the reproductive capability in a woman's life.
- It is a natural process — correct. Yes! Myths about it have no scientific basis.
- Girls should be kept apart while they menstruate. This is a myth with no scientific basis.
- It is a sign that something is wrong with the body. Menstruation is a natural process.