Do you ever go online to search something about your periods and make things easy to understand for yourself but end up getting bombarded with a bunch of weird medical terms? You can end up feeling that your period is way more complicated than it actually is with all this fancy terminology. But here’s what’s true. Once you get to know the meaning behind what all these terms actually mean, you will realise that your period isn’t complicated! These are just terms to make your period talk more effective with your doctors and folks and you will be able to decipher what an article online actually means. Let’s break down all these fancy terms, so that you can finally understand and speak the language of your body. 

Menarche- This term basically means your first menstrual period. It has a Greek origin, meaning ‘beginning of menstruation’. You can hear this from your doctor when you have to tell your period history. So it is basically a scientific term for the first time you bleed. The average age for menarche to occur is around 12 to 13, but it can occur anywhere between the age of 8 to 16 and is completely normal. After your menarche, you enter your official reproductive years!

Ovulation- This is the process of release of an egg from your ovary. During your menstrual cycle, your body builds up to this moment. Around day 14 of your cycle (varies for everyone), your ovary releases a mature egg that travels down your fallopian tube. This is when you are most fertile, meaning if sperm meets this egg, you could get pregnant. If the egg doesn't get fertilized by sperm, it eventually breaks down and leaves your body during your period. Ovulation is basically the whole point of your menstrual cycle from a biological perspective.

Cervical Mucus- It is the fluid that your cervix produces and can change throughout your cycle. Right before ovulation, your cervical mucus becomes clear, stretchy, and slippery, kind of like egg whites. This type of mucus actually helps sperm swim up toward your egg. After ovulation, it becomes thicker and stickier, which actually blocks sperm from getting through. Your cervical mucus is basically your body's way of telling you where you are in your cycle. Some people use it to track when they're ovulating, which is called the Billings Ovulation Method ;)

Endometrium- The endometrium is the tissue that lines the inside of your uterus. During your menstrual cycle, hormones tell your endometrium to get thicker and more blood-rich to prepare for a potential pregnancy. If an egg gets fertilized, the endometrium is where the embryo implants and grows. If the egg doesn't get fertilized, your body sheds this thickened endometrium, and that's what comes out as your period. So basically, your period is just the endometrium leaving your body because it wasn't needed. The endometrium rebuilds itself every single cycle, which is pretty amazing when you think about it :o

Dysmenorrhea- Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for painful periods. If your periods come with intense cramping that makes it hard to function, you might have dysmenorrhea. There are two types: primary dysmenorrhea, which is just painful periods without any underlying condition, and secondary dysmenorrhea, which is caused by something like endometriosis. Some cramping is normal during your period, but if the pain is so bad that you can't go to school or do your normal activities, that's dysmenorrhea and you should definitely talk to a doctor about it :/

Hormonal Imbalance- Hormonal imbalance is when the hormones that control your menstrual cycle aren't at the right levels or ratios. Your menstrual cycle depends on a delicate balance of estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones working together. When something throws off that balance, whether it's stress, poor nutrition, extreme exercise, PMOS, your whole cycle can get messed up. You might skip periods, have irregular periods, get really bad cramps, or experience mood changes. A hormonal imbalance doesn't mean something is permanently wrong, it just means your body needs some adjustment to get back on track :P

Spotting- Spotting is when you have light bleeding or brown discharge outside of your 

regular period. You might notice a few drops of blood in your underwear. Spotting can happen for lots of reasons: hormonal changes, stress, intense exercise, or sometimes it's

just random. Some people spot around ovulation, which is totally normal. If spotting happens occasionally, it's usually nothing to worry about. But if you're spotting constantly or if it's heavy, definitely talk to a doctor because it could indicate something that needs attention :) 

Irregular Periods- Irregular periods mean your menstrual cycle isn't following a consistent pattern. Instead of getting your period every 28 days like the textbooks say, your cycle might be 21 days one month and 35 days the next. Or you might skip a month entirely and then have two periods close together. Irregular periods are actually super common, especially in teens whose cycles are still settling down. Stress, changes in weight, intense exercise, hormonal imbalances, and certain health conditions can all cause irregular periods. As long as you're getting a period roughly every few months, you're probably fine, but if you go several months without one, check with a doctor :’) 

Flow- Flow refers to how much blood you lose during your period. Some people have a light flow where they barely need protection, while others have a heavy flow where they need to change their pad frequently. It can change throughout your period, usually heavier on the first few days and lighter toward the end. A normal period lasts anywhere from 2 to 7 days, and the amount of blood loss varies wildly from person to person. If your flow is so heavy that you're soaking through a pad or tampon every hour or two, or if you're passing blood clots larger than a quarter, that's abnormally heavy and you should talk to a doctor :3

Corpus Luteum- The corpus luteum sounds fancy, but it's actually just the leftover part of your ovary after you've released an egg. After ovulation, the empty follicle (bag-like) transforms into this little hormone-producing structure called the corpus luteum. Its job is to produce progesterone, which keeps your uterus lining thick and ready for a potential pregnancy. If you don't get pregnant, the corpus luteum eventually breaks down, progesterone levels drop, and that triggers your period to start. If you do get pregnant, the corpus luteum keeps producing progesterone until the placenta takes over. It's basically your body's temporary backup plan :o

Knowing what all these words mean takes the mystery out of your menstrual cycle. When you understand that your period is the endometrium leaving your body or that PMS happens because of hormonal fluctuations, you stop feeling scared or confused. You can actually have conversations with your doctor about what's happening in your body instead of nodding along to medical jargon. You can track your cycle more effectively, recognize what's actually a problem versus normal variation, and take better care of your reproductive health. Now you can finally speak the language of your own body with confidence!