WOMEN’S BODIES: THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE DURING ADOLESCENCE

MARCH 11TH, 2009
By ADMIN

After the menarche, it quite often takes a year or more before the menstrual cycle becomes regular. There may be only three or four periods in the first 12 months, and when they occur is quite unpredictable (though sore breasts and other premenstrual symptoms may warn you that a period will start soon). During this early, irregular phase ova are rarely released from the ovary, and the cycle of hormonal activity between the ovary and the pituitary has not settled into its regular rhythm. For most young women, menstruation and ovulation will become regular within three years from the menarche. A few will ovulate and have regular periods right from the beginning.

Managing periods

You won’t want your menstrual flow to stain your underwear or clothes. Before the mid-1940s, when cotton-wool products were scarce, women had to make napkins for this purpose out of old towels or rags (hence the old term for menstruation, ‘wearing the rags’). These would be left soaking overnight in buckets of salt water, to be washed out each morning. These days it’s easier, of course. Most women use disposable sanitary pads or tampons to collect the blood-stained discharge. These come in a variety of styles and sizes.

Pads may have tabs that can be pinned to an elastic belt worn around the waist, or may have an adhesive patch on one side that sticks to your underpants. There are different sizes and thicknesses to cope with different amounts of bleeding. Pads are effective and easy to use. Larger pads often form a bulge that can be seen when wearing tight jeans or shorts. Menstruation is a normal function so it shouldn’t matter if others are aware of it, but most women will want to avoid this by choosing the newer pads with tapered ends.

Pads can sometimes chafe the skin around the vulva and upper thighs, and can occasionally move a bit from the position over the vaginal opening so that they don’t soak up all the blood, which then gets onto your clothes. You will probably use pads for a while after you start menstruating; later you may consider changing to tampons.

Tampons are compressed pads that are worn inside the vagina. They have a short string that protrudes from the vaginal opening to make removal easy. Some come in cardboard inserter tubes. Tampons are effective and inconspicuous. They are small, ‘making it easy to carry spares in pocket or purse and dispose of them after use. When menstrual flow is heavier, you might ‘overflow’ a tampon in a couple of^:hours so that blood leaks to the outside. A tampon and pad worn together will; protect you well on heavier days.

Some people think that virgins can’t or shouldn’t use tampons, because the tampon won’t fit through the hymen or may break the hymen. This is rarely true. The opening in most young women’s hymens is usually large enough for a tampon (especially the slender sort) to fit through without discomfort. The margin of this opening is elastic and will stretch without tearing during insertion and removal. You may find inserting tampons a bit awkward at the first few attempts, but you’ll soon get the knack if you know your anatomy. It’s important to remember that about 2 cm beyond the entrance the cavity of your vagina bends to slope at a steep angle back towards your tailbone. You must turn this comer to get a tampon into the right position.

Tampons should be changed about every four hours during menstruation, even on the light days. Very rarely, a tampon left in for a long time can cause a serious illness called toxic shock. Beyond the first 2 cm from the entrance we have no touch sensation in our vaginas so a tampon in the right place can’t be felt. It’s important not to forget that you’re wearing one and leave it in. This is most likely to happen at the end of a period and can result in a smelly discharge a day or so later. Pads and tampons should be disposed of by wrapping and putting in the bin. There are receptacles for this purpose in most public and school toilets, though strangely, rarely in the primary schools. Education departments don’t seem to recognize that some girls will start to menstruate at the age of 11 or 12, before going to high school. It can be very awkward for a young, inexperienced girl to bow what to do with a used pad, which is too bulky for putting in pockets.