Information for Mothers
and Midwives
245
CHAPTER
19
THE MENSTRUAL PERIOD
(MONTHLY BLEEDING IN WOMEN)
Most girls have their first ‘period’ or monthly bleeding between the ages of
11 and 16. This means that they are now old enough to become pregnant.
The normal period comes once every 28 days or so, and lasts 3 to 6 days
However, this varies a lot in different women.
Irregular or painful periods are common in adolescent (teenage) girls. This does
not usually mean there is anything wrong.
If your menstrual period is painful:
There is no need for you to
stay in bed. In fact, lying
quietly can make the pain
worse.
It often helps to walk around
and do light work or
exercises . . .
or to take hot drinks, or put
your feet in hot water.
If it is very painful, it may help to take aspirin (p. 378) or ibuprofen (p. 379) and to
lie down and put warm compresses on the belly.
During the period—as at all times—a woman should take care to keep clean, get
enough sleep, and eat a well balanced diet. She can eat everything she normally
eats and can continue to do her usual work. It is not harmful to have sex during the
menstrual period. (However, if one of the partners has HIV, the risk of infecting the
other partner may be higher.)