7 Amazing Facts About Periods That Everyone Needs To Know!

Another fun related fact: back in the middle ages, people used to think that redheads were babies who were conceived while their mother was on her period.

• Back in the 1800s, girls wouldn’t get their periods until they were well into their teens — the average age was around 17. Nowadays, the average age to start menstruating is 12 — a whole five years younger.
• Scientists think there are a few key reasons for this: namely, improved nutrition.
• We’re eating better — and more — than our ancestors did a few hundred years ago, and fat cells make estrogen.
• The more fat cells you have, the more estrogen you have in your body, which can trigger the start of your menstrual cycle as a girl.

High-stress levels can actually trigger the beginning of your period.

• From the time of her first cycle to menopause, the average American woman will have around 450 periods in her lifetime. That’s a lot of periods.
• Added up, this equates to around 10 years — or about 3,500 days — of the average woman’s life that will be spent menstruating.
• Translated into period products, this works out at around 11,000 tampons that the average woman uses in a lifetime.
• Of course, everyone is different, and anything from cycle length to child-bearing, breastfeeding and culture can influence the number of periods a woman gets over her lifetime.

From the time of her first cycle to menopause, the average American woman will have around 450 periods in her lifetime. That’s a lot of periods.

Added up, this equates to around 10 years — or about 3,500 days — of the average woman’s life that will be spent menstruating. Translated into period products, this works out at around 11,000 tampons that the average woman uses in a lifetime.

Of course, everyone is different, and anything from cycle length to child-bearing, breastfeeding and culture can influence the number of periods a woman gets over her lifetime. However, one thing is certain — periods impact us all.

• If the fact above scares you into thinking about the environmental impact that you’re having just by menstruating, then don’t worry!
• There are actually many different ways you can reduce your waste and have a guilt-free, eco-friendly period.
• Disposable tampons and sanitary pads (which are mostly made from plastic) are no longer the only options out there.
• These days, there are all sorts of sustainable period products to choose from that you can keep and reuse for years — such as menstrual cups and period panties.

• Sometimes, when you’re having a particularly heavy flow day, it can feel as if something is wrong. Surely it’s not normal to produce this much blood?!
• Although it may seem like a lot, your body only actually loses around three tablespoons of blood during your period; the average woman can lose anywhere from one tablespoon to a small cup of blood during a normal period.
• If it seems like you’re losing more than this during your period, you should seek advice from a medical professional.
• Losing too much blood can increase your risk of anemia — which can cause dizziness, tired and poor circulation.

• According to vocalization researchers, women’s voices can change slightly during their menstrual cycle due to our reproductive hormones affecting the vocal cords.
• This means women can sound different while on their period, and even “less attractive” according to the participants in their testing. Ouch.
• The same female reproductive hormones also affect your natural scent, meaning you smell different when you’re on your period.
• This is very subtle and actually consciously detectable.