The taboo aroundperiodsand menstruation isstill,sadly, a thing.
A period is like a fifth vital sign, she explains.
If someone isnt getting a period, or it’sirregularor painful or heavy, it makes me wonder whats wrong.
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Plus, as Dr. Rodgers points out, a lot of people dont even realize theyre overlooking menstruation.
People are overextended with their jobs, families, and obligations.
(Well call that the crescendo in this musical analogy.)
What happens when you stress an animal?
Their reproduction shuts down.
Youre exercising too hard.
If you are in a starvation state, you’re trying to survive, Dr. Rodgers says.
It knows youre not healthy enough to carry a baby, so your reproductive system shuts off.
If you are thinking Fewer periods?
You have a hormonal issue.
(Cue eye roll.)
Remember that hormonal orchestra Dr. Rodgers talked about earlier?
Some people with PCOS will ovulate every 35 to 40 days, and some not at all.
Youve got an underlying uterine problem.
Painful periods are a hallmark symptom, she explains.
You might also be dealing withuterine fibroids, which are noncancerous growths in the lining of the uterus.
Again, out-of-whack tissue growth seems to factor in.
I think of them like big balls of muscle growing inside the uterus, Dr. Rodgers says.
As SELF previously reported,fibroids can cause you to bleedoutside of your normal cycle too.
An injury or serious disease is present.
If blood appears in your panties at unexpected timesparticularly after sexthere might be a more serious issue at play.
She had always diligently tracked her health, including her menstruation.
So when she once bled for 10 minutes straight after sex, she knew something was wrong.
Though the docs misdiagnosed her with STIs at first, she ended up learning she had cervical cancer.
Youre entering a new phase in life.
You might be able to nip an issue in the bud or get on a solid treatment path.
They’re worried about being prosecuted for things that may happen, she notes.
I think that there’s a lot of care on many apps to keep that information private.
That being said, I think you don’t need to do anything fancy.
Both tend to be solid ways to get ahead of gynecological problems.
