Mysterious bloating, hormonal mood swings, remembering to take The Pill...us ladies have more than our fair share of annoying period inconveniences to deal with from. But at the top of that list is definitely our periods. Yes, it’s a natural part of being a woman. It may even be a little exciting when you first get it as a tween! But after the first one, the novelty very quickly wears off.
The fact of the matter is, nobody actually enjoys getting their period. Sure, we ‘deal’ with it and make sure we’re keeping everything hygienic. But it’s kind of like that Fedora-wearing guy at the club who won’t leave you alone — you hope that if you pretend it’s not there, it’ll eventually go away.
But according to a report published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, we should all be paying more attention to what’s going on down there during that time of the month. Turns out, the look and texture of your menstrual blood can give you valuable insight into your hormonal and overall health. Scroll through the gallery for something look out for:
Here’s what the color of your period blood can tell you
It resembles strawberry jam
Blood clots or chunks during your period are totally normal. But if yours are bigger than a 20 cent coin, it may be a sign you have a hormonal imbalance, uterine fibroids or polyps or an abnormal pregnancy. If this is you, it’s worth paying your doctor or gyno a visit ASAP.
Your period blood resembles a millennial pink color
Personally, we’d be happy if everything in our life was millennial pink. But according to the experts, it may be cause for concern if your menstrual blood resembles the trendy hue. Light bleeding can be a sign of low estrogen levels caused by being on The Pill, anaemia, significant weight loss, an iron deficiency or a poor diet. Again, chat to your doc if it’s on the lighter side.
It’s brown
It can be kind of alarming to see dark brown or even black liquid ‘down there’. But this is normal towards the end of your period, as it’s normally just older bits of uterine lining exiting your body. Because it has longer to oxidise, it turns a darker shade. However, if you notice dark spotting between periods for more than two to three months, see your doctor. It could point to hormonal imbalances caused by pre-menopause, menopause, PCOS or The Pill (including going on or off it.)
It’s bright red
It’s hard to believe, but spotting a bright, red stain on your pants may actually be cause for celebration. According to the experts, a cranberry-esque shade is normally a good sign that everything is working as it should be.
