Myths and truths about menstruation: how many days it lasts, flow and normal color

Menstruation is the loss of blood through the vagina over a period of 3 to 8 days. The first menstruation occurs at puberty, from 10, 11 or 12 years old, and after that, it must appear every month until menopause, which occurs around 50 years of age.

During pregnancy, menstruation does not occur, however the woman may have a little bleeding for 1 or 2 days, especially at the beginning of pregnancy, pink or brown, like coffee grounds. Know what can cause menstruation in pregnancy.

See which days your period should return, entering your data:

1. The first menstruation comes at the age of 12.

Myth. The onset of the first menstruation, also known as menarche, varies from girl to girl due to hormonal changes in each body, however, despite the average age being around 12 years old, there are girls who start menstruating earlier and earlier, at 9, 10 or 11 years old, but there are also girls who start menstruating later, at 13, 14 or 15 years old.

Thus, if menstruation occurs before or after that age, it does not mean that there is a health problem, especially if there is no symptom, but in case of doubt the gynecologist can be consulted.

2. The girl stops growing after the 1st menstruation.

Myth. The growth of girls usually lasts until around 16 years of age and, therefore, continues even after the 1st menstruation. However, the period of greatest growth occurs before age 13, which is the same period as menarche. So, although it may seem that some girls stop growing after their first period, what happens is that the speed of growth tends to slow down.

3. Menstruation lasts for 7 days.

Myth. Menstruation duration also varies from woman to woman, but the most common is that it lasts between 3 to 8 days. Usually, the next menstruation starts around the 28th day after the first day of the previous menstruation, but this period can vary according to the woman's menstrual cycle. It is important to consider the 1st day of menstruation when a little bleeding appears, even if it is pink and in small amount. Some girls have this type of flow for 2 or 3 days, and from then on menstruation becomes more intense.

Better understand how the menstrual cycle works and learn how to calculate yours.

4. Normal menstruation is dark red.

Truth. Usually the color of menstruation changes over the days of menstruation, and can vary between bright red and light brown. However, there are also times when the woman has a darker menstruation, like coffee grounds, or a lighter one, like pink water, without this signifying any health problem.

In most cases, changes in the color of menstruation are related to the time that the blood is in contact with the air. Thus, a period that has been in the tampon for a longer time is usually darker.

See when dark menstruation can be an alarm signal.

5. There is no way to measure the amount of menstrual blood.

Myth. Normally the woman loses between 50 to 70 mL of blood during the entire menstruation, however, as it is difficult to measure the amount of blood lost, it is considered an above normal flow when it lasts more than 7 days or when more than 15 are spent pads for each menstrual cycle, for example.

Understand what can cause menstrual bleeding and what to do in such cases.

6. It is possible to get pregnant menstruating.

Perhaps. Although difficult, it is possible to get pregnant by having intimate contact while menstruating. This is because hormonal production can vary in each woman, and ovulation can occur even during the menstrual period.

7. If menstruation doesn't come, I'm pregnant.

Myth. Changes in the date of onset of menstruation are usually caused by changes in a woman's hormone levels. Therefore, delayed menstruation is not always a sign of pregnancy, which may indicate other situations such as excessive stress, excessive consumption of coffee or changes in hormone-producing organs, such as the pituitary, hypothalamus or ovaries. In case of a menstrual delay of more than 10 days, you should take the pregnancy test or go to the gynecologist.

Check out a more complete list of the main causes of delayed menstruation.

8. It is possible to menstruate without ovulation.

Myth. Menstruation only happens when there is an egg that has been released and has not been fertilized. Thus, menstruation can only happen if there has been ovulation. However, the opposite is not true. That is, the woman can ovulate without menstruating, which usually means that the egg has been fertilized by a sperm and, therefore, it is possible that the woman is pregnant.

9. Washing menstruating hair is bad or increases the flow.

Myth. Washing your hair has no influence on the menstrual cycle, so the person can take a bath and stay in the shower for as long as they want.

10. Tampon or menstrual cup takes virginity.

Perhaps. In general, the smaller tampon, when placed correctly, does not break the woman's hymen. However, the hymen can be broken more easily with the use of the menstrual cup, so it is important to take this into account before purchasing it.

The recommended thing is always to talk to the gynecologist to evaluate which is the best option for each woman, and remember that in reality virginity is only lost when you have real intimate contact. See 12 more questions and answers about the menstrual cup.

11. Women who live very close together tend to menstruate at the same time.

Truth. As hormone production depends on routine factors such as diet and stress, women who spend a lot of time together tend to experience the same external factors that influence the menstrual cycle, which ends up making hormone production and menstruation time similar between them..

12. Walking barefoot makes colic worse.

Myth. Even if the floor is cold, walking barefoot does not make colic worse. Probably what happens is that stepping on the cold floor is more of a nuisance for those who are already in pain, giving the impression that the cramps have worsened.

13. PMS does not exist, it is just an excuse for women.

Myth. PMS is real and occurs due to the large hormonal fluctuations that occur during the menstrual cycle, causing symptoms such as irritability, tiredness and abdominal swelling, which vary in intensity and according to each woman. See the full list of symptoms.

14. All women have PMS.

Myth. PMS is a set of symptoms that appears in women about 1 to 2 weeks before menstruation. Although it is very common, PMS only occurs in about 80% of women and, therefore, does not affect all women who menstruate.

15. Does having a menstrual period increase the risk of contracting and transmitting STIs?

Truth. Having menstruating increases the risk of transmission of STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections, formerly called STDs, Sexually Transmitted Diseases), due to the presence of blood, which favors the proliferation of microorganisms that cause disease. Thus, if the man has an STI, the woman is more likely to get the disease, and if it is the menstruating woman who is sick, it can also pass more easily because the number of microorganisms in the blood may be higher, being easier to pass for the man.

16. Taking contraceptives in order not to menstruate is bad for your health.

Perhaps. There are contraceptives that can be amended, but before doing so, you should speak to the gynecologist.

17. Having menstruating causes problems for women.

In certain cases, true. If intimate contact is safe and with a condom, it does not pose any problem for the woman. In addition, there are already special pads to use during this period that make it easier during sex. They do not have the tampon string and it works like a sponge, absorbing everything without disturbing the woman or the partner.

However, during menstruation, the uterus and cervix become very sensitive, with a greater risk of microorganisms entering and, therefore, having sex without a condom during menstruation increases the risk of contracting diseases.

18. Having the flow too strong can cause anemia.

Truth. In general, strong flow is not a reason to suffer from anemia, as it usually only appears when menstrual losses are really high, which only happens when there are diseases causing the problem, such as uterine fibroids and ectopic pregnancy. Thus, a woman should only be concerned when menstruation lasts more than 7 days, if the menstrual cycle is less than 21 days, or if she spends more than 15 pads in each menstrual period. See the causes and treatment for prolonged menstruation.

19. Menstruation stops in the pool or at sea.

Myth. Menstruation continues to happen, even when you are in the sea or in the pool, however, the presence of water in the intimate region reduces body temperature and also causes increased pressure, which can make it difficult for the blood to escape. However, after leaving the water it is possible for menstruation to fall quickly, just because it has been accumulating inside the vaginal canal.

20. Menstruation can cause diarrhea.

Truth. During menstruation, the uterus releases prostaglandins, which are substances responsible for muscle contractions. These substances can affect the walls of the intestine and lead to increased bowel movement, which ultimately results in periods of diarrhea.