The start of the periods is probably the biggest change that takes place for a girl during puberty. Periods are nothing to be worried about. They are a natural part of every woman’s life. Most girls start having periods between the ages of 10 and 16. There is no right time; your periods will start when your body is ready. A period happens to most women each month and usually lasts somewhere between 3 and 7 days. Your menstrual cycle is from the first day of one period to the first day of the next. When you first start to have periods, they may not be very regular. Your body will take a while to settle down into a regular cycle, this might take 2 or 3 years. Don’t worry, this is normal About every 28 days an egg is released from one of woman’s ovaries. The egg travels downs the oviduct to the uterus where, if it has been fertilized, it can implant and grow into a baby. To prepare for possible fertilisation, the lining of the uterus thickens. This is controlled by the release of progesterone, from the corpus luteum, the remains of the follicle left behind in the ovary. If the egg has not been fertilized then the lining breaks down and is released (menstruation). Estrogen from the ovary encourages the uterus lining to grow again for the next egg released. If the egg has been fertilized, then progesterone continues to be released from the corpus luteum. This maintains the uterus lining during pregnancy and prevents further ovulation.
Questions
Task 1
Tips • • • • • •
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Do a quick first reading on your own. Extract the main idea. Re- read slower. Underline the words you do not know Try to guess the meaning of those words according to the text. Contrast what you understand in each paragraph with your partner. Finally answer the questions bellow
a) Which hormones are mentioned in this text? b) When does the menstrual cycle begin and finish? c) How old is a girl when her cycle becomes regular? d) What happen to the uterus if the egg has been fertilized?
e) Why do some ant conceptive methods contain progesterone? f) Do women who take ant conceptive pills have the period? Why?
Task 2: Periods – What are they? (Menstrual cycle) Watch this video and then answer the questions:
i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii.
What other hormones not mentioned in text appear in the video? Where are these hormones released? According to the video, which parts of your body are closely coordinated (in relation to their activity)? Where do the hormones travel through? How many days does the egg take to pass through the fallopian tube? Who releases the progesterone? What’s the main purpose of the progesterone?
TASK 3 Contraceptive methods Work in pairs. Half of couples have to work with hormonal contraceptive methods and the other half with nonhormonal contraceptive methods. Every pair must elaborate a triptych about one method (without repeating anyone), so all the class has to agree and decide which one they deal with.
The triptych has to include: • The name of the method • An image • Hormones that are contained in this method
(if there are) • % of reliability • Other information
The next day the pairs share their triptychs, and they can ask their doubts about every method.
Our triptychs