Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Long Does It Last?Is It OK to Use Tampons?Is Skipping Normal?Will Exercise Stop It?Are Clots Normal?Do Periods Sync?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Long Does It Last?
Is It OK to Use Tampons?
Is Skipping Normal?
Will Exercise Stop It?
Are Clots Normal?
Do Periods Sync?
Getting your first period—which typically occurs between the ages of 10 and 16—can bring up a lot of questions, not only for a young person but also for their parent, guardian, or confidante.
Knowing how to answer them can alleviate a lot of the stress and uncertainty about what’s “normal” and what’s not. It can also help dispelmyths and misconceptionsaboutmenstruationand provide guidance on what form of protection (tampons vs. pads) works best in which situation.
This article asks and answers six common questions that people have about a first period.
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How Long Does a First Period Last?
The medical term for your first time menstruating ismenarche.
Typically, a first period will last anywhere from two to seven days. It may be very light, perhaps justspots of reddish-brown blood. While you generally wouldn’t expect a heavy flow for your first period, it can happen.
If your period lasts for more than seven days, speak with your healthcare provider.
Spotting vs. Period: What’s the Difference?
Can 12-Year-Olds Use Tampons?
If you are having your first period, your body has matured enough to use tampons. Tampons work just as well for females who have just begun to menstruate as they do for a teen or an adult.
While the first period often occurs around age 12, some have it at a younger age or in their teens.Whatever the age, it is important know tohow to insert a tamponand how to use it safely.
Among the considerations:
Is It Normal to Miss a Period?
Skipped or irregular periods are common when you first start menstruating. This is due in part to the fact that the “command center” of your body’s hormones—called theneuroendocrine axis—takes time to mature along with the rest of your body.
For some, it can take six years before their cycle becomes more predictable. This is not an indication of a health concern or something you should stress about.
It is more concerning if you are consistently having periods less than 24 days apart or you go more than three months without a period. In cases like this, it is important to speak with a healthcare provider.
On average, a menstrual cycle is around 28 days, although cycles of 21 to 45 days are perfectly normal.
Hormones and Your Menstrual Cycle
Will Exercise Stop My Period?
Intense exercise can cause irregular periods, but this is generally limited to extreme athletes like bodybuilders or runners who train hard regularly.People who engage in regular workouts, even strenuous workouts, usually don’t experience changes in their periods.
Extreme athletes are vulnerable because restricted diets, changes in body composition, and regular intense workouts put the body in a starvation state. When this happens, excessive amounts of a stress hormone calledcortisolare released. This hormone, responsible for the “fight-or-flight” instinct, suppresses the production ofestrogenwhich helps regulate the menstrual cycle.
See your healthcare provider if you’re concerned about changes in your period after you start exercising.
Are Period Blood Clots Normal?
It can be scary to discover clumps of reddish-brown tissue in your menstrual flow, but it’s rarely something to worry about.
Blood isn’t the only thing that comes out during your period; your uterus (womb) also sheds its lining, known as theendometrium. So what looks likeblood clotsare usually just clumps of endometrial tissue mixed with blood.
A menstrual clot is a gel-like blob composed of blood and tissue that can look similar to whole-fruit strawberry jam. If the clot is smaller than a quarter, it is usually nothing to worry about.
If it is larger than a quarter or there are numerous clots, see your healthcare provider as this could be a sign of a growth or obstruction inside your uterus.
What Does Menstrual Blood Look Like?
Females who live together sometimes report that their menstrual cycles sync up. While researchers suggest that this is a myth, many people believe it to be true.
One hypothesis is that females emit odorless chemicals calledpheromonesas their period nears which triggers periods in others who live with them (such as a mother and daughter). Genetics may also play a role.
It is also possible that periods are synced as a result of thecircadian cyclewhich regulates the sleep-wake pattern. The circadian cycle is known to influence the timing of the release ofluteinizing hormone (LH). This is the hormone that not only helps regulate the menstrual cycle but also triggers the release of an egg from theovaryduringovulation.
Summary
A first period can bring up a lot of questions about what is normal and what is not, or what you should or shouldn’t do. By understanding how long a period is, how often it occurs, what a menstrual clot is, and how to use a tampon, you can be better equipped to manage this normal biological cycle.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Biro FM, Pajak A, Wolff MS, et al.Age of menarche in a longitudinal US cohort.J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol.2018 Aug;31(4):339–45. doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2018.05.002American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Your first period: frequently asked questions.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.The facts on tampons—and how to use them safely.Nas MSG, Farahmand M, Cashti S, Tehrani FR.Factors affecting menstrual cycle developmental trajectory in adolescents: a narrative review.Int J Endocrinol Metab.2022 Jan;20(1):e120438. doi:10.5812/ijem.120438Nazem TG, Ackerman KE.The female athlete triad.Sports Health. 2012;4(4):302-11. doi:10.1177/1941738112439685Gibson MES, Fleming N, Zuijdwijk C, Dumont T.Where have the periods gone? The evaluation and management of functional hypothalamic amenorrhea.J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol.2020 Jan;12(Suppl 1):18–27. doi:10.4274/jcrpe.galenos.2019.2019.S0178Sriprasert I, Pakrashi T, Kimble T, Archer DF.Heavy menstrual bleeding diagnosis and medical management.Contracept Reprod Med. 2017;2:20. doi:10.1186/s40834-017-0047-4ACOG Committee Opinion.Menstruation in girls and adolescents: using the menstrual cycle as a vital sign.Obstet Gynecol.2015;126(6):e143-e146. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000001215International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.Period syncing myth debunked.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Biro FM, Pajak A, Wolff MS, et al.Age of menarche in a longitudinal US cohort.J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol.2018 Aug;31(4):339–45. doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2018.05.002American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Your first period: frequently asked questions.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.The facts on tampons—and how to use them safely.Nas MSG, Farahmand M, Cashti S, Tehrani FR.Factors affecting menstrual cycle developmental trajectory in adolescents: a narrative review.Int J Endocrinol Metab.2022 Jan;20(1):e120438. doi:10.5812/ijem.120438Nazem TG, Ackerman KE.The female athlete triad.Sports Health. 2012;4(4):302-11. doi:10.1177/1941738112439685Gibson MES, Fleming N, Zuijdwijk C, Dumont T.Where have the periods gone? The evaluation and management of functional hypothalamic amenorrhea.J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol.2020 Jan;12(Suppl 1):18–27. doi:10.4274/jcrpe.galenos.2019.2019.S0178Sriprasert I, Pakrashi T, Kimble T, Archer DF.Heavy menstrual bleeding diagnosis and medical management.Contracept Reprod Med. 2017;2:20. doi:10.1186/s40834-017-0047-4ACOG Committee Opinion.Menstruation in girls and adolescents: using the menstrual cycle as a vital sign.Obstet Gynecol.2015;126(6):e143-e146. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000001215International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.Period syncing myth debunked.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Biro FM, Pajak A, Wolff MS, et al.Age of menarche in a longitudinal US cohort.J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol.2018 Aug;31(4):339–45. doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2018.05.002American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Your first period: frequently asked questions.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.The facts on tampons—and how to use them safely.Nas MSG, Farahmand M, Cashti S, Tehrani FR.Factors affecting menstrual cycle developmental trajectory in adolescents: a narrative review.Int J Endocrinol Metab.2022 Jan;20(1):e120438. doi:10.5812/ijem.120438Nazem TG, Ackerman KE.The female athlete triad.Sports Health. 2012;4(4):302-11. doi:10.1177/1941738112439685Gibson MES, Fleming N, Zuijdwijk C, Dumont T.Where have the periods gone? The evaluation and management of functional hypothalamic amenorrhea.J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol.2020 Jan;12(Suppl 1):18–27. doi:10.4274/jcrpe.galenos.2019.2019.S0178Sriprasert I, Pakrashi T, Kimble T, Archer DF.Heavy menstrual bleeding diagnosis and medical management.Contracept Reprod Med. 2017;2:20. doi:10.1186/s40834-017-0047-4ACOG Committee Opinion.Menstruation in girls and adolescents: using the menstrual cycle as a vital sign.Obstet Gynecol.2015;126(6):e143-e146. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000001215International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.Period syncing myth debunked.
Biro FM, Pajak A, Wolff MS, et al.Age of menarche in a longitudinal US cohort.J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol.2018 Aug;31(4):339–45. doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2018.05.002
American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Your first period: frequently asked questions.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.The facts on tampons—and how to use them safely.
Nas MSG, Farahmand M, Cashti S, Tehrani FR.Factors affecting menstrual cycle developmental trajectory in adolescents: a narrative review.Int J Endocrinol Metab.2022 Jan;20(1):e120438. doi:10.5812/ijem.120438
Nazem TG, Ackerman KE.The female athlete triad.Sports Health. 2012;4(4):302-11. doi:10.1177/1941738112439685
Gibson MES, Fleming N, Zuijdwijk C, Dumont T.Where have the periods gone? The evaluation and management of functional hypothalamic amenorrhea.J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol.2020 Jan;12(Suppl 1):18–27. doi:10.4274/jcrpe.galenos.2019.2019.S0178
Sriprasert I, Pakrashi T, Kimble T, Archer DF.Heavy menstrual bleeding diagnosis and medical management.Contracept Reprod Med. 2017;2:20. doi:10.1186/s40834-017-0047-4
ACOG Committee Opinion.Menstruation in girls and adolescents: using the menstrual cycle as a vital sign.Obstet Gynecol.2015;126(6):e143-e146. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000001215
International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.Period syncing myth debunked.
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