Your menstrual cycles can be a vital sign. Just like your heartbeat or your temperature, your periods can give clues about your overall health. If something changes, it might mean your body needs help.
Starting Periods: Adolescents & Teens
Periods can be an important sign of health and development for teens. Most get their first period (called menarche) between ages 9 and 15. Things like nutrition, body weight, stress, and family history can affect when it starts. In the first few years, periods may be irregular. That can be normal! But if a teen girl doesn’t get a period by age 15, if periods are very painful or heavy, or if cycles continue to be very irregular past the first couple of years, then it’s a good idea to talk to a doctor. During the teenage years, some common problems with periods can include:
- Not getting any periods, called amenorrhea: This can happen because of eating disorders or being underweight, problems with the uterus, cervix, or vagina, or problems with hormones, including PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).
- Painful periods, called dysmenorrhea: Although some mild pain from cramping can be normal, very painful periods can be a sign of a problem like endometriosis.
- Mood changes around periods: Mild mood changes, common in the days right before a period starts or the first couple of days of a period, can be normal. More severe mood changes that impact daily life around periods may be a sign of PMDD – premenstrual dysphoric disorder – and may need treatment.
Learning about periods early helps teens understand their bodies and get help if something feels wrong.
Reproductive Years: Adult Menstrual Health
During the adult years, periods usually follow a pattern. A normal period usually happens every 21 to 35 days, with bleeding that lasts 2 to 7 days.
Having no periods at all (called amenorrhea) or too few periods (called oligomenorrhea) can be linked to eating disorders, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), thyroid problems, and other problems with the uterus.
Too much bleeding from heavy or frequent periods might mean there are health concerns like endometriosis, fibroids, or even cancers. Heavy periods can also cause too much blood loss, leading to things like dizziness or low iron levels.
Periods also matter for fertility, so knowing your cycle patterns can be important if you might want to get pregnant.
Things like body weight, race, genetics, and lifestyle can also affect your cycles. For example, Asian and Hispanic women may tend to have longer cycles, while Black women may have slightly shorter cycles on average. Women with larger or heavier bodies may have heavier periods than women with smaller or thinner bodies because body fat can store estrogen, a hormone that affects periods.
Perimenopause: The Transition Years
Perimenopause is the time before menopause. It usually starts in your 40s, and may last anywhere from one to ten years! During this time, periods may:
- Come more or less often
- Be heavier or lighter
- Be skipped sometimes
Other symptoms include:
- Hot flashes
- Mood changes
- Trouble sleeping
Tracking your cycle during perimenopause helps you notice changes and talk to your doctor if needed.
Menopause & Post-Menopause: The End of Periods
Menopause means you haven’t had a period for 12 months in a row. The average age is around 51, but it can happen earlier or later. After menopause, you shouldn’t have any vaginal bleeding anymore. If you do, it’s important to see a doctor, because it could be a sign of a health problem.
Menstrual Health for Everyone
Some people may feel embarrassed or ashamed to talk about periods. That’s called stigma, and it can stop people from getting help. Periods are a normal bodily function, and period health can be an important sign of how your body is working.
Why Tracking Your Period Matters
Tracking your periods with your Ovia app or on paper can help you understand your own cycles better.
Tracking your period helps you:
- Know what’s normal for your body
- Spot changes early
- Share helpful info with your doctor
- Understand your fertility
You can track things like:
- Start and end dates
- How heavy the bleeding is
- Any pain or other symptoms
- Any bleeding or spotting that happens between periods
Final Thoughts
Menstrual health is important, from your first period to after menopause. Paying attention to your cycle helps you stay healthy. If something feels off, talk to a healthcare provider. Your period is your body’s way of sending you messages—make sure you’re listening!
Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team
Sources
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Kumar, Mukesh, and Sunayana Singh. “Menstrual Cycle: An Overview.” International Journal of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 19 Jan. 2025, www.gynaecologyjournal.com/articles/1581/9-1-8-547.pdf.
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“Perimenopausal Bleeding and Bleeding after Menopause.” ACOG, Feb. 2024, www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/perimenopausal-bleeding-and-bleeding-after-menopause.
“Menstrual Cycles Today: How Menstrual Cycles Vary by Age, Weight, Race, and Ethnicity: Study Updates.” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 5 May 2025, hsph.harvard.edu/research/apple-womens-health-study/study-updates/menstrual-cycles-today-how-menstrual-cycles-vary-by-age-weight-race-and-ethnicity/.
Akerman, Eva, et al. “Navigating Menstrual Stigma and Norms: A Qualitative Study on Young People’s Menstrual Experiences and Strategies for Improving Menstrual Health.” Springer Nature Link, 17 Dec. 2024, bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-024-20936-5. Cunningham, Adam C., et al. “Chronicling Menstrual Cycle Patterns across the Reproductive Lifespan with Real-World Data.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 3 May 2024, www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-60373-3.
