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Why Is This Happening to My Body?Awake!—1990 | February 8
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The Menstrual Cycle—Curse or Blessing?
About two years after puberty begins, a young girl experiences a significant development—the beginning of the menstrual cycle. Without adequate preparation, however, this milestone event can be frightening, shocking.a “I’m really scared,” wrote a girl named Paula. “About three months ago, I started bleeding for a few days a month. Does this mean I have cancer? . . . I’m so upset thinking about this bleeding that I’m crying and shaking.”
The book Adolescents and Youth reports that some girls even feel shame and guilt when their cycle begins. Little wonder, then, that many girls keep the event secret. Said one young girl: “I was embarrassed to tell my mother. She’d never talked to me about it and I was frightened to death.”
But far from being something to be ashamed of, the menstrual cycle is evidence that your reproductive powers are maturing. Your body is now capable of conceiving and bearing a child. Oh, it will be years before you are really ready to be a parent. But here you stand, poised on the brink of womanhood. Is this something to be ashamed and embarrassed about? Hardly!
Besides, this is something universally experienced by women. The Bible refers to the menstrual cycle as “the customary thing with women.” (Genesis 31:35) And contrary to the opinion of some, it is not a curse.b Perhaps, though, it will allay some of your fears if you better understand why and how this cycle takes place.
The “Monthly Miracle”
The word “menstruation” comes from a Latin word that means “monthly.” Once a month your body becomes capable of conceiving a child. First, a rise in your body’s hormone levels signals your uterus, or womb. This prepares itself to receive and nurture a fertilized egg; its lining becomes rich with blood and nutrients. Nearby are the two almond-shaped organs known as the ovaries, each containing thousands of tiny eggs. Each egg is a potential baby, needing only to be fertilized by a male sperm. Once a month, an egg ripens and bursts free from the ovaries.
Gentle “fingers” now sweep up the egg and draw it into one of the Fallopian tubes. The tiny egg now begins a four-to-six-day journey through it to the uterus. If a woman does not become pregnant during this time, the tiny egg disintegrates. The blood-rich lining of the uterus also breaks down. The uterus begins contracting and gently expels this lining through the vaginal canal.
For anywhere from two to seven days (varying from woman to woman) the menstrual discharge flows. And then the process repeats itself, month in, month out, until menopause.c Well did one writer describe it as a “monthly miracle”! It is a process bearing the unmistakable signature of a Master Designer. It is yet one more reason to exclaim, as did the psalmist: “I shall laud you because in a fear-inspiring way I am wonderfully made”!—Psalm 139:14.
Finding Help
Nevertheless, the menstrual cycle does present you with a number of practical concerns. For example, many girls worry, ‘What if it starts while I’m in school?’ Granted, this could stain your clothing and cause you some embarrassment. Sex educator Lynda Madaras assures us, however, that “most girls don’t bleed enough right at first to have it show through on their clothes.” Still, you will want to be reasonably prepared.
A number of books dispense sound medical advice. But why not also share your concerns with your mother? No doubt she will have a number of practical suggestions. “My mother was like a friend to me,” says one young woman. “We had big discussions, and she would answer my questions.”
Admittedly, some mothers have a tough time talking about intimate matters. But if you approach her respectfully and let her know that this is really important to you, she just may be able to overcome her reluctance to talk. If that fails, why not confide in a mature Christian woman with whom you feel comfortable?
Though most women are able to go about their daily routine during their period, the book Changing Bodies, Changing Lives reminds us that some women suffer from “headaches, backaches, skin problems, mood changes, depression, cramps, nausea, and water retention.” Simple aspirin compounds often relieve these symptoms. (Your doctor can determine if stronger medication is needed.) And if possible, you can avoid undue stress at that time by planning your activities around your cycle.
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Why Is This Happening to My Body?Awake!—1990 | February 8
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a In one study, 20 percent of the mothers polled had told their daughters nothing about menstruation. Another 10 percent gave only the barest minimum of information.
b It is true that the Mosaic Law declared a menstruating woman “unclean.” (Leviticus 15:19-33) But this was only in a ceremonial sense. Evidently, these laws served to teach respect for the sanctity of blood. (Leviticus 17:10-12) At the same time, the laws served to remind the Jewish nation that mankind is born in a sinful state and needs a redeemer.
c It may take months or years before the cycle establishes a pattern of regularity.
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