The Period
Everyone sneezes. It may not happen often, and some people sneeze differently than others. But just because we sneeze doesn’t mean we need to hide it; everyone already knows that it’s a normal bodily function that one should not be ashamed of. The same should be said for periods. “Menstruation: the process in a woman of discharging blood and other materials from the lining of the uterus at intervals of about one lunar month from puberty until menopause, except during pregnancy.” Yes, the forbidden subject. The word that makes most men squirm and fills most females with dread: periods (and not the kind
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found at the ends of sentences). Unfortunately, this topic has been deliberately ignored by most since the beginning of time. So here I am, a sophomore at CCA, who is one hundred and ten percent not awkward and one hundred and ten percent open to talking about periods.
The word that makes most men squirm and fills most females with dread... First, let’s start with the basics: the menstruation cycle starts when a woman’s body gets ready for pregnancy. Since
the egg does not get fertilized, the lining of the uterine walls (a.k.a. the womb) deteriorate and are flushed out with blood. A standard menstruation cycle usually lasts around 28-30 days, while the actual bleeding can last anywhere from 3-7. However, some girls can have abnormal periods due to stress, excessive exercise, or other hormonal imbalances (Miller 2018). The process of ovulation is also included in the menstrual cycle. This is the period (no pun intended) when a woman is most likely to get pregnant since that is when her egg first gets released from the ovaries (the place where eggs are made).
Additionally, periods can include many, many symptoms, including cramps, moodswings, bloating, acne, fatigue, and soreness. The list continues with less common symptoms such as sleep disturbances, migraines and weight gain. These can vary from girl to girl, as some have no cramps and a light blood flow during PMS (premenstrual syndrome), while others may feel like their uterus is being brutally strangled. Periods can also vary by age. Some girls get theirs early, as young as age nine, whereas others have the privilege of waiting until they’re fifteen or sixteen. But when it comes to menstruation, age doesn’t
