Get To Know 3 Healthy Menstruation Characteristics

Illustration of the characteristics of healthy menstruation (Freepic)

JAKARTA - Menstruation is a natural part of the women's reproductive cycle. Although every woman can have a different menstrual pattern, there are several common characteristics that indicate that menstruation runs in a healthy manner.

First, a regular menstrual cycle, which ranges from 21 to 35 days. Second, the normal duration of bleeding ranges from two to ten days. Finally, the volume of blood that comes out is not excessive, generally equivalent to three to five normal sanitary napkins per day.

Understanding and recording these three aspects is very important so that women can recognize any disturbances and immediately seek medical assistance.

Obstetric and gynecologist specialist, dr. Boy Abidin, SpOG, Subsp. FER, emphasized the importance of conscious monitoring the menstrual cycle. According to him, there are still many women who do not record their menstrual cycles and tend to ignore changes that may be an early sign of health problems.

"Often I meet patients who don't know for sure when the last period or how long it will take. They just THOUGHT. In fact, there are three indicators that can be used as a reference," said dr. Boy at a media meeting in Jakarta, recently, as quoted by ANTARA.

The first indicator, he explained, is the duration of the cycle. Healthy menstrual cycles usually range from 21 to 35 days. Calculations start from the first day of blood coming out in large quantities, not from initial patches until the first day of the next cycle.

The second indicator is the length of bleeding. Normally, menstrual blood comes out for two to ten days. "If it's only for one day, it doesn't include menstruation. But if it's up to two weeks and a lot of blood comes out, then it needs to be examined further because there could be a disturbance," he explained.

The third is the amount of blood that comes out. Ideally, menstrual blood volume ranges from three to five normal sanitary napkins per day. If more than that or even too little, it could be a sign of an abnormality.

Dr. Boy also revealed that there are still many women in Indonesia who consider complaints such as severe menstrual pain or bleeding which is very large as something normal. This is often passed down from generation to generation or due to the lack of education and stigma that is still attached to the issue of menstruation.

He appealed to women not to ignore abnormal symptoms during menstruation, such as menstrual pain that interferes with activities or bleeding that lasts more than 14 days. In such cases, consultation with a doctor is highly recommended so that treatment can be immediately carried out before having an impact on further health, for example anemia.

"The stigma that considers all forms of menstruation to be normal can actually be dangerous. It is important for women to understand the limits that are considered healthy in their menstrual cycle," he concluded.