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Menstruation/menarche refers to vaginal bleeding that occurs at the end of a menstrual cycle. The endometrial lining builds up throughout the course of every menstrual cycle and is shed at the end, when pregnancy fails to occur. In case you wonder why menstrual cycles are also called periods, they are called so to mean an "interval of time" or a "repeated cycle of events", and this since 1822. Here are 15 surprising facts you may not have known about menstruation. 1. There are more than 5,000 euphemisms for menstruation around the world. These are the most frequently used euphemisms for menstruation in English: Aunt Flo/Aunt Flow/Aunt, Time of the month/TOM/That time of the month, on the rags/rag/ragging, red tide/river, code red, monthly visitor, mother nature, lady friend, bloody Mary, shark week. The French say "Les Anglais ont debarqué", which translates to "The English have landed". 2. Menstrual taboo can still be observed in...

You may not be pregnant yet, but you may plan on being pregnant in a near future (next three to six months). If you do, now is the time to start planning (health-wise). Having a healthy baby starts before you conceive, so preconception health is important. According to the CDC, preconception health is the health of women and men during their reproductive years, which are the years they can have a child. It focuses on taking steps now to protect the health of a future baby.  A woman's preconception health check should include the following: 1. Treating or controlling underlying medical conditions Conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma and others can affect your pregnancy. It is important to discuss any underlying health conditions you have (and medications you're taking) with your doctor. If necessary, your doctor may refer you to a specialist. Note that women with chronic health conditions can still have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. Chronic heal...

Fertility is a sensitive but important topic when it comes to health. The focus in this article is on female fertility, but male fertility is just as important and should be catered for. Couples that have used birth control pills for extensive periods may find it difficult conceiving in the first few months after they stop birth control but should succeed within a year of medically unassisted trying. It becomes alarming when trying goes beyond a year without success for those under 35. Alarm is raised much faster for women above 35, as fertility decreases with age. Women above 35 who have been trying for six months and those below 35 who have tried for a year without success should consult a doctor and investigate the cause of the challenge. Here are the common health conditions that affect fertility. Endometriosis : Endometriosis is one of the causes of painful menstruation and fertility. It is a painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the endometrium (the interior...