What is a period?
• A period is the part of the menstrual cycle when a woman bleeds from her vagina for a few days.
How often do girls / women have periods?
• For most women this happens around every 28 days, but it's common for periods to be more or less frequent than this, ranging from every 21 days to every 35 days.
How long do periods last?
• Your period can last between 2 and 7 days, but it will usually last for about 5 days. The bleeding tends to be heaviest in the first 2 days.
What can girls / women expect during their period?
- When your period is at its heaviest, the blood will be red. On lighter days, it may be pink or brown.
- You'll lose about 20 to 90ml (about 1 to 5 tablespoons) of blood during your period, although some women bleed more heavily than this.
What if my periods are heavy, painful, irregular or missing?
- If periods are impacting you in daily life, there are many options available to help with period symptoms.
- Before making an appointment with your GP Practice, it is helpful to keep a diary of your symptoms to be able to share. This will help your healthcare professional to give the best advice and options available to you.
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