5/14/2020 Facts and Statistics About Your Period

Menstruation: Facts, Statistics, and You

Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE, COI on November 28, 2018 — Written by
Kimberly Holland

A menstrual period is vaginal bleeding that occurs at the end of the menstrual cycle. Each
month, the female body prepares itself for a possible pregnancy. The uterus develops a thicker
lining, and the ovaries release an egg that can be fertilized by sperm.

If the egg isn’t fertilized, pregnancy won’t occur during that cycle. The body then sheds the
built-up uterine lining. The result is a period, or menstruation.

The average female will have their first period between ages 11 and 14.Periods will continue
regularly (usually monthly) until menopause, or about age 51.

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Learn more about the facts and statistics of menstruation below.

Menstrual health and complications

The average menstrual cycle is 24 to 38 days. The typical period lasts four to eight days.

Monthly or regular periods are a sign your cycle is normal. Your body is working to prepare for
a possible pregnancy.

In addition to bleeding, 90 percent of people who menstruate say they experience various
symptoms. Food cravings are one common symptom. In fact, one study found that almost half
of American women crave chocolate at the start of their period.

Breast tenderness is another common period symptom. It can peak in the days just before
menstruation starts. A surge in the hormones estrogen and progesterone leads to enlarged
breast ducts and swollen milk glands. The result is soreness and swelling.

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Meanwhile, period pain (also called dysmenorrhea, aka “cramps”) is another common

symptom. More than half of menstruating people experience some pain around their period,
with some estimates saying as much as 84 percent.  

Prostaglandins are the cause of this pain. These are chemicals that trigger muscle contractions
in your uterus. These hormones help the body shed the excess uterine lining, which can cause
pain and cramping in the first days of your period.

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