The Menstrual Cycle

1. When does a girl usually get her first menstrual period? 2-2 ½ years after the girl’s breasts begin to develop

2. What is the start of periods known as? Menarche Menarche

3. What is ovulation? Tiny egg leaves one of the ovaries once a month and travels down one of the fallopian tubes toward the uterus

4. What stimulates the uterus to build up its lining with extra blood and tissue, making the walls of the uterus thick and cushioned? Estrogen

5. When would the egg attach itself to the wall of the uterus? When it is fertilized by a sperm cell

6. What is it called when a woman no longer releases eggs from her ovaries? Menopause

7. When will girls start menstruating? Some may start as early as 9 or 10, but others may not get their first period until later in their teens.

8. What is the menstrual cycle? The amount of time between a girl’s periods.

9. How long does their menstrual cycle last? For some it lasts 28-days, whereas others might have a 24-day cycle, a 30 day cycle, or even a 35-day cycle.

10. What is common in girls who are just beginning to menstruate? Irregular periods

11. What will happen after a number of months? The menstrual cycle will become more regular

12. How long will a girl have her period for? It may last 2 or 3 days, other girls may have periods that last 7 days or longer.

13. TRUE or FALSE The menstrual flow can vary widely from person to person.

14. How common are menstrual cramps? More than half of all women who menstruate say they have cramps during the first few days of their periods.

15. How can menstrual cramps feel? o Can be dull and achy sharp and intense. They can be felt in the back or thighs and abdomen.

16. What does PMS stand for? Premenstrual Syndrome