Menstruation
A woman’s egg cells are stored in the ovaries. Each month a mature egg cellEgg cellFemale sex cell. A woman is born with many egg cells in her…Read more leaves one of the ovaries. This is called ovulationOvulationMoment at which a ripe egg cell is released from 1 of the…Read more.
The fallopian tubeFallopian tubeOrgan connected to the uterus. A woman has 2 fallopian tubes, 1 on…Read more transports the egg cell to the uterusUterusOrgan in a woman's belly in which a foetus can grow.Read more. The woman’s uterus prepares for pregnancyPregnancyThe time when a woman is expecting a baby. The pregnancy begins when…Read more: the mucous membraneMucous membraneA very thin layer of skin (membrane) on which there is a thick…Read more in the uterus grows to receive a fertilised egg cell. The membrane serves as a nest for the egg cell (implantationImplantationWhen a fertilized egg cell attaches to the mucous membrane of the uterus.…Read more).
If the egg cell is not fertilised, the woman is not pregnant. The mucous membrane and bloodBloodRed fluid that has important functions in the body, for example: carrying oxygen…Read more come out of the uterus. They will leave the body through the vaginaVaginaPart of the inner sexual organs of a woman. The vagina connects the…Read more. This is called menstruationMenstruationThe loss of blood once a month through a woman's vagina. Menstruation lasts…Read more. Some people call this a period.
Menstruation lasts about 3 to 7 days. The length is different for each woman.
At the start of a menstruation the mucous membrane starts to grow again and a new cycleCycleNumber of days between the first day of a woman's menstruation and the first…Read more starts.
A woman can use different products such as tampons or sanitary towels to absorb the blood from her menstruation.
Woman standing. The focus is on the internal sexual organs.
1. The egg cells are stored in the ovaries.
2. Ovulation: a mature egg cell leaves the ovary.
3. The fallopian tube transports the egg cell to the uterus. The mucous membrane in the uterus thickens.
4. Menstruation: mucous membrane and blood leaving the vagina.
First menstruation
A woman becomes fertileFertileIf you are fertile, you are able to have a baby (if you…Read more during pubertyPubertyPeriod during which a child's body changes. Children become fertile during puberty. Puberty…Read more, in general between the ages of 11 and 15. From that moment she can have children. A girl is fertile from her first ovulation and can therefore get pregnant before her first menstruation. If the egg cell is not fertilised, she menstruates for the first timeFirst timeFirst sexual contact with a partner. The first time usually means the first…Read more. Even when she has sex for the first time, she can get pregnant.
MenopauseMenopauseWhen a woman stops having menstrual periods forever, usually around the age of…Read more: end of menstruation
A woman stops menstruating between the ages of 45 and 55. The exact age is different for every woman. This is called the menopause. The woman can no longer get pregnant after that.
At the beginning of the menopause menstruation is irregular. After some time they stop altogether. The menopause can last from a coupleCouple2 people who are in a relationship. A couple can be 1 man…Read more of months to several years.
The menopause changes the production of female hormones. Some women might experience discomfort. For example: hot flashes, mood swings, insomnia, loss of concentration, headache and fatigue.
ContraceptionContraceptionMeans and methods of preventing pregnancy. Condoms and the contraceptive pill are examples…Read more
Some methods of contraception prevent the mucous membrane from growing in the uterus or prevent an egg cell from ripening (ovulation). In that case, the woman does not bleed, or only bleeds a little.
Sexual intercourseSexual intercourseSexual act in which the penis penetrates (enters) the vagina or anus.Read more
Some women want to have sexual intercourse during their menstruation, others do not. A woman can have sexual intercourse during menstruation if she wants to. It will not lead to hygiene problems.
A woman can get pregnant during her menstruation if she is in her fertile period and has unprotected sexSexAll acts that can sexually arouse you. Sex is more than sexual intercourse.…Read more. If you do not have a desire to have childrenDesire to have childrenWanting to have a child. Some people have a very strong desire to…Read more at the moment, use contraception.