4 Myths and Facts about Menstruation

Well if you are in 12th then your 3rd chapter is based on human reproduction where you will come across the word ‘menstruation’. So let me tell you something, there are a lot of myths and facts about menstruation and our menstrual cycle that you need to know from the very beginning and some maybe even apart from your core syllabus but you need to know them in order to become more practical. So if you are interested and a biology lover too, then do read this article till the end.

So before getting started we need to know what menstruation or menstrual cycle is (for those who still haven’t come across this topic in their books) –

Menstrual cycle

This cycle is the regular natural change that occurs in the female Reproductive or genital system that makes pregnancy possible. The cycle is required for the production of oocytes, and for the preparation and nourishment of the uterus for later pregnancy. The menstrual cycle occurs due to the rise and fall of estrogen hormone level.

The menstrual cycle has four phases –

Menstruation (part or phase of the menstrual cycle), follicular phase, ovulation and luteal phase. The normal menstrual cycle usually has a period of 28 days but in irregular cases, it may be in between 21 to 40 days.

Menstruation

It is also known as a period or monthly, is the regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the endometrium (inner lining of uterus) through the vagina. From day 1 to day 5 of the menstrual cycle, menstruation or period occurs.

You are not a virgin if you don’t bleed during first sexual intercourse

This is an absurd illogical myth that is still accepted by a majority of people. I don’t know how much illiteracy can make an individual believe such rubbish things. The hymen is a very delicate tissue situated at the opening of the vagina, which gets torn when a woman has sexual intercourse for the first time. But it’s not necessary that a girl has to bleed to prove her virginity.

Do you know a very important fact that every female may not even have hymen since birth? Hymen being so delicate may tend to rupture when we do cycling or work out, dance, sports or other relatable daily life activities. So not even a doctor can ever confirm whether a woman is a virgin or not. If you are someone who still believes in such myths then the problem lies in you and it’s high time for you to educate yourself.

You won’t get pregnant if you have unprotected sex on menstruation days

This is a very dangerous myth that is still believed by a lot of educated people all around the world. So you see how important it is to get educated about the facts in order to avoid ending up in a severe trouble someday.

Here’s the reason why-

A majority of women have irregular menstrual cycle which leads to short or longer bleeding than the normal cycle. In such cases, fertility window may possibly overlap with her menstrual days and we already know that ovulation just occurs after it ends. So if you know someone or even if its you who is following such a dangerous myth then I just hope that you don’t land yourself up in any embarrassing situation in future.

Having menstrual sex is unhealthy and can kill a man

Like seriously? No I mean seriously? Sometimes I really just want to ask the person who discovered or invented such myth about the logic behind it. Okay so this is a crazy myth. Having menstrual sex can reduce and divert pain and actually give relief from menstrual cramps But one thing you need to remember – It must be a protected one or else you will end up in a severe problem which is already discussed in point number 2.

Working out on menstrual days is unhealthy

Even I used to believe this myth when I was much younger, probably when I was in the seventh standard. I even had heard that it causes damage to the uterus which leads to facing problems during pregnancy. But personally, I feel that this is not at all a justified statement. Even it is seen in a number of studies that working out or exercising during menstrual days can give you relief from menstrual cramps, mood swings and tiredness. The more activities you perform on menstrual days, the more fit and cramp-free you stay on those days.

So if you learnt this just now after reading the article, then do follow up this point from your upcoming or next menstrual cycle onwards. So as I said that these myths and facts are going to be a bit out of your core syllabus but these things should be obviously known by any individual, especially if you are pursuing science stream. So you can google up if you need to know more details but when you are from a science background then you should definitely have an idea of the practical matters related to menstrual cycle and menstruation.

Disclaimer

The views of the above specific topics expressed in this article is just for knowledge purpose. So please don’t take these things in any other perspective.

ITM UNIVERSITY

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