Reproductive Anatomy
At the bottom of the screen is a list of organs. Can you identify where these organs on the body? As an organ is highlighted on the diagram,select the correct name from the list.

During puberty a girl will begin to menstruate.

  • Menstruation generally occurs between the ages of 9 and 14 years of age.
  • It is at this time that a girl's ovaries will begin making hormones, estrogen and progesterone.
  • Each month these hormones allow an egg cell within one of her ovaries to ripen.
  • The ripened egg cell is then released into the fallopian tube.

This is called ovulation.
It is during ovulation that a girl can get pregnant.

If a sperm does not penetrate or impregnate a girl's egg cell then her period will begin in about 14 days.

A girl's menstrual cycle begins on the day she starts her period.

  • This is when blood and tissue from the uterine wall begins to break down and shed.
  • The blood and tissue flow from the uterus, through the vagina, and out the vaginal opening.
  • Normally this bleeding will last anywhere from 3 to 8 days. This is called a period.
  • The first day of one period to the first day of the next cycle is the one complete cycle.

When girls first begin to menstruate, it is common for their periods to be irregular.

  • A girl might go 21 days between periods one month, and then 30 days between the next.
  • After a year or two, most girls settle into a regular pattern and will have a period more or less once every 28 days.
  • The blood and tissue can be easily dealt with by using pads or tampons.

Some but not all girls suffer from side effects before or during their period-this is often called premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

  • These side effects are caused by the change in a girl's hormone levels.
  • To combat PMS try light exercise, a heating pad or over-the-counter pain relief medication.
  • Some of the common side effects include:

Headaches
Backaches
Cramps
Water retention
Bloating
Depression
Breast tenderness
Acne or pimples

After a girl begins menstruating, she can keep track of her period by using a calendar.

  • This will allow her to know if her cycles are regular.
  • She can make a mark on the calendar each day she has a period.

* This information will allow a girl to estimate when her period will begin again so she won't be caught without protection-a pad or tampon.