Library of Frequently Asked Questions
Starting your menstrual cycle
Menstruation, or getting your period, is the signal that your body is preparing for a normal biologic function: the ability to reproduce or have children. The menstrual cycle is repeated every month throughout the reproductive years, generally between the ages of eleven and fifty.
Menstruation is the shedding of a bloody fluid from the uterus or womb. About every month, the uterus or womb builds up a lining to receive a fertilized egg. If the egg is not fertilized by a male sperm cell, the lining is not needed, so it is shed. This lining is the menstrual fluid and comes out of your body through the vaginal opening.
Menstruation is only a small part of the entire process known as puberty or the process of growing up to be an adult. The first sign of puberty occurs when you begin to develop breasts and pubic hair. The first menstrual period occurs later in this process, usually one to two years after you start to develop breasts. Your first period starts when you see a brown or bloody discharge on your underwear.
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