Periods and fertility in the menstrual cycle
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The length of the menstrual cycle varies from woman to woman, but the average is to have periods around every 28 days. Regular cycles that are longer or shorter than this, from 21 to 35 days, are normal.
The menstrual cycle is the time from the first day of a woman’s period to the day before her next period.
Girls can start their periods anywhere from age 8 upwards, but the average is around 12 years. The average age for the menopause (when periods stop) in this country is 51.
Between the ages of 12 and 52, a woman will have around 480 periods, or fewer if she has any pregnancies.
What happens during the menstrual cycle?
To understand the menstrual cycle, it helps to know about the reproductive organs inside a woman’s body. These are:
- two ovaries – where eggs are stored, developed and released
- the womb (uterus) – where a fertilised egg implants and a baby develops
- the fallopian tubes – two thin tubes that connect the ovaries to the womb
- the cervix – the entrance to the womb from th...
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