Information about periods is tough to come by, and periods always is surrounded by myths and mystery. Considering the stigma surrounding periods even in this day and age, menstrual education is crucial for a woman and everyone around her. All women must know and understand their bodies.

That’s exactly why we bring this article to you. Here, you will get to know several interesting facts about your period.

1. You may smell a bit different from normal days during your period.
2. On average, a woman menstruates for about 7 years during her lifetime.
3. You can have 450 periods in your life. It depends on a woman’s average menstrual cycle.
4. The average period cycle varies from 21 to 35 days. Breastfeeding is a natural contraceptive; hence women do not get periods when they breastfeed for long and often. When breastfeeding reduces, the period returns. The average cycle of periods is reduced because of this as well.
5. The average starting age for periods was 15 or 16 years a century back. Today, girls attain puberty as early as 9 or 10 years of age. Health, diet, sleeping habits, stress, and being overweight can be the prime factors for early puberty.
6. A new-born baby with ovaries has six million eggs. The number of these eggs (oocytes) reduces to one or two million eggs when a girl reaches puberty and her menstrual cycle starts; the eggs mature each month and get released. The extra eggs die off when a woman ages and reaches the menopause stage and eventually cannot conceive babies.
7. Pregnancy during periods can happen. Sex during this period is not safe, as many assume. Sperm can survive inside a body for 5 to 6 days, so women with short menstrual cycles and heavy periods may ovulate in 5 to 6 days after their period and may fall pregnant.
8. A missed period may not mean you are pregnant. Hormone imbalances, stress, obesity, and other lifestyle factors can impact the menstrual cycle leading to an irregular menstrual cycle.
9. On average, women lose 10 to 35 ml of blood during the period. This can translate to 1-2 tablespoons worth of blood spread over 5 days. We do not bleed as much as we think we do.
10. If you have heavy periods, it can be due to hormonal imbalance, anaemia, or an early miscarriage. 
11. Mood swings, painful cramps, and bloating often accompany hormone imbalance. The symptoms may include tiredness, palpitations, and breathlessness.

Though not drastically, the brain can be affected by periods too. The attention span and cognitive function can be affected while having period cramps resulting in brain fog (forgetfulness) and concentration lag.