Menstruation myths

• Getting your period means that roughly once a month, blood runs out of the vagina. This lasts for about four to seven days.
• Most girls begin menstruating some time between the ages of 11 and 16. Your period can be delayed because of stress, regular heavy exercise, or illness.

Myth 1 - Menstrual blood is dirty

So having your period means that you’re unclean.

Fact
The menstrual blood you see leaving your body is normal. It's coming from your uterus lining, as it sheds.

Getting your period is part of a bigger process that gets your body ready for pregnancy - not your body rejecting 'bad blood' or 'impurities'. There’s nothing dirty about menstruation.

So there is no medical reason why you can’t go to school, religious ceremonies, or exercise. In fact, getting your period regularly is a sign that you’re a healthy young person.

Myth 2 – You lose a lot of blood

Fact
It may feel and look like a lot, but usually it's not.

Most women lose between two and six tablespoons of blood each time they get their period. The rest of what you see is shedding from other tissues that make up your uterus lining.

Myth 3 – You're pregnant if you miss a period

Fact
It usually takes teenagers a few years before their periods come regularly. So missing your period could be normal. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re pregnant.

Of course if you've had unprotected sex and you don't get your period, you could be pregnant. Then it's a good idea to do a pregnancy test.

Myth 4 – It's unhealthy to have sex during your period

Fact
There’s no medical reason that having sex during your period should be bad for your health. Of course, you can still get a sexually transmitted disease if you have unprotected sex during your period.

Myth 5 – You can’t get pregnant if you've got your period

Fact
True, it’s less likely that you'll get pregnant if you have sex when you've got your period. But it doesn’t guarantee it. Menstruating is a sign that your uterus lining is shedding, but it doesn't definitely mean there's not an egg ready and waiting for the sperm.