This does not necessarily mean there's a problem, but it does need to be investigated. You can see your GP, or visit your nearest women's clinic or contraceptive clinic. Bleeding between periods , bleeding after having sex, or bleeding after the menopause needs to be checked by a doctor.
It might be caused by an infection, abnormalities in the neck of the womb the cervix or, in rare cases, it could be cancer. You could be pregnant if you miss a period and you've had sex.
See your GP if you've taken a pregnancy test and the result is negative you're not pregnant and you've missed 3 consecutive periods. Read more about stopped or missed periods. Your periods will continue until you reach the menopause , which usually happens when you are in your late 40s to mids. In the UK the average age of menopause is Your periods may start to become less frequent over a few months or years before stopping altogether. In some cases they can stop suddenly.
Page last reviewed: 05 August Next review due: 05 August When do periods start? Sanitary products Sanitary products soak up or collect the blood released during your period. The main types of sanitary products are: sanitary pads tampons menstrual cups Sanitary pads Sanitary pads are strips of padding that have a sticky side you attach to your underwear to hold them in place.
Tampons Tampons are small tubes of cotton wool that you insert into your vagina to soak up the blood before it comes out of your body. For more information, read: Can a tampon get lost inside me? What if I forget to remove my tampon? Menstrual cups Menstrual cups are an alternative to sanitary pads and tampons.
PMS premenstrual syndrome Changes in your body's hormone levels before your period can cause physical and emotional changes. There are many possible symptoms of PMS , but typical symptoms include: feeling bloated breast tenderness mood swings feeling irritable spotty skin or greasy hair loss of interest in sex These symptoms usually improve when your period starts and disappear a few days afterwards.
Getting pregnant Working out when you can get pregnant — your fertile time — can be difficult. Changes in your periods Your periods can change — for example, they may last longer or get lighter. They shouldn't get in the way of exercising, having fun, and enjoying life. If you have questions about periods, ask your doctor, a parent, health teacher, school nurse, or older sister.
Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. There is a lot to learn about periods. Here are some common questions that teens have. But there are some clues that it will start soon: Most of the time, a girl gets her period about 2 years after her breasts start to develop. Another sign is vaginal discharge fluid sort of like mucus that a girl might see or feel on her underwear.
This discharge usually begins about 6 months to a year before a girl gets her first period. What Causes a Period? How Does Ovulation Relate to Periods? How Long Do Periods Last? Periods usually last about 5 days. But a period can be shorter or last longer.
How Often Does a Period Happen? Most girls use pads when they first get their period. Pads are made of cotton and come in lots of different sizes and shapes.
They have sticky strips that attach to the underwear. Many girls find tampons more convenient than pads, especially when playing sports or swimming. A tampon is a cotton plug that a girl puts into her vagina. Most tampons come with an applicator that guides the tampon into place.
The tampon absorbs the blood. Don't leave a tampon in for more than 8 hours because this can increase your risk of a serious infection called toxic shock syndrome. Some girls prefer a menstrual cup. Most menstrual cups are made of silicone. A few days before you ovulate, your vaginal mucus or discharge changes and becomes more slippery and clear.
This type of mucus helps sperm move up into your uterus and into the fallopian tubes where it can fertilize an egg. Some women feel minor cramping on one side of their pelvic area when they ovulate. Some women have other signs of ovulation. Luteinizing hormone LH is a hormone released by your brain that tells the ovary to release an egg called ovulation.
LH levels begin to surge upward about 36 hours before ovulation, so some women and their doctors test for LH levels. LH levels peak about 12 hours before ovulation. Learn more about tracking ovulation to become pregnant. Your cycles may change in different ways as you get older.
Often, periods are heavier when you are younger in your teens and usually get lighter in your 20s and 30s. This is normal. Talk to your doctor or nurse if you have menstrual cycles that are longer than 38 days or shorter than 24 days, or if you are worried about your menstrual cycle.
If your periods are regular, tracking them will help you know when you ovulate, when you are most likely to get pregnant, and when to expect your next period to start. If your periods are not regular, tracking them can help you share any problems with your doctor or nurse. If you have period pain or bleeding that causes you to miss school or work , tracking these period symptoms will help you and your doctor or nurse find treatments that work for you. Severe pain or bleeding that causes you to miss regular activities is not normal and can be treated.
You can keep track of your menstrual cycle by marking the day you start your period on a calendar. After a few months, you can begin to see if your periods are regular or if your cycles are different each month. You can also download apps sometimes for free for your phone to track your periods. Some include features to track your PMS symptoms, energy and activity levels, and more. The average age for a girl in the United States to get her first period is A girl may start her period anytime between 8 and The first period normally starts about two years after breasts first start to develop and pubic hair begins to grow.
Get more information for girls about getting their period at girlshealth. On average, women get a period for about 40 years of their life. Perimenopause, or transition to menopause, may take a few years. During this time, your period may not come regularly. Menopause happens when you have not had a period for 12 months in a row.
For most women, this happens between the ages of 45 and The average age of menopause in the United States is Your doctor will check for pregnancy or a health problem that can cause periods to stop or become irregular. The average woman loses about two to three tablespoons of blood during her period.
What is normal for you may not be the same for someone else. Also, the flow may be lighter or heavier from month to month. Your periods may also change as you get older. Some women have heavy bleeding during perimenopause, the transition to menopause. Symptoms of heavy menstrual bleeding may include:. Follow the instructions that came with your period product. Try to change or rinse your feminine hygiene product before it becomes soaked through or full.
Use a product appropriate in size and absorbency for your menstrual bleeding. The amount of menstrual blood usually changes during a period. Some women use different products on different days of their period, depending on how heavy or light the bleeding is. Toxic shock syndrome TSS is a rare but sometimes deadly condition caused by bacteria that make toxins or poisons.
In , 63 women died from TSS. A certain brand of super absorbency tampons was said to be the cause. These tampons were taken off the market. Today, most cases of TSS are not caused by using tampons. But, you could be at risk for TSS if you use more absorbent tampons than you need for your bleeding or if you do not change your tampon often enough at least every four to eight hours.
Menstrual cups, cervical caps, sponges, or diaphragms anything inserted into your vagina may also increase your risk for TSS if they are left in place for too long usually 24 hours.
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