1. Menstrual Cycle

2. Facts about You As a fetus, you have more than 7 million eggs!
At birth, 1-2 million are left
At puberty, about 300,000 are left.
Only eggs ever mature…
Compare to men:
Men don’t produce sperm until puberty
Can produce up to 300 million sperm per day!!!!!!!!!!!
More than a quadrillion in a lifetime!
1,000,000,000,000

3. How Eggs Begin… Egg Eggs begins within follicles
Follicle: cluster of cells that surround an egg
Function: to help an egg mature
Location: in the ovaries
Egg

4. Menstrual Cycle Average cycle = 28 days 1 egg per cycle
4 parts in cycle:
Menstruation (Flow Phase)
Follicular Phase
Ovulation
Luteal Phase

5. Menstruation (Flow Phase)
Starts on Day 1 (approx. 5 days)
Uterine lining shed
Low levels of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Leutenizing Hormone (LH) released
Hypothalamus stimulates pituitary gland to release them
Begins to prepare/develop new follicle

7. Follicular Phase Day 6 to 14 Estrogen is released
Prepare lining of uterus
Causes FSH to start to decrease
LH levels remain low
Follicle is getting ready to release an egg

9. Ovulation Around day 14 Estrogen reaches max level Triggers peak of LH
Follicle ruptures to release the egg

11. Luteal Phase This produces progesterone
Immediately after ovulation (14 days long)
FSH, LH, and estrogen decrease
Ruptured follicle becomes corpus luteum
This produces progesterone

13. Progesterone Thickens & maintains uterine lining
Stimulates growth and development of blood supply
Prepares you for pregnancy
If no pregnancy, levels drop! Cycle ends! Period begins again.

14. Menopause Permanent stopping of the menstrual cycle Triggered by:
Production of estrogen drops, ovulation & menstruation stops
Triggered by:
Age (usually occurs around age 50)
genetics
environment (smoking, drinking, stress, emotional abuse, etc)
Symptoms:
hot flashes, fatigue, sleep problems
depression, mood swings
weight increase
vaginal dryness

15. Menstrual Symptoms Cramps! Headaches/Dizziness Bloating Mood Swings
Cause: contraction of uterus & movement of clots through cervix
Headaches/Dizziness
Cause: sudden drop in hormones, loss of blood
Bloating
Cause: sudden change in hormones
Mood Swings
Cause: change in hormones
Breast tenderness
Cause: progesterone
Acne
Cause: increase in estrogen

16. PMDD Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
Might have heard it on commercials?
Very severe disorder
Symptoms are similar to what we all feel but much more severe
Have to be debilitating enough to interfere with your ability to carry on with social or job-related activities.
Often accompanied by suicidal thoughts

17. Other Female Reproductive Issues
Cervical Cancer
Can be ID’ed by Pap Smear
Pap Smear: doctor takes a small sample of cells
Treatable
Preventable: vaccine
Ovarian Cancer
The “silent killer” → usually, few symptoms until its too late
Treatment: can include Hysterectomy (removal of organs)
Spreads easily
Uterine Cancer
Symptoms include irregular bleeding
Treatment: Hysterectomy