The wait times in our emergency departments are longer than usual due to illnesses like RSV and the flu. View our estimated ED wait times and learn more about where to get care for your sick child.
Say: men-STROO-ay-shun
Menstruation is often called having a "period." A period is the 2–7 days that a girl or woman has her menstrual flow, which is when blood and tissue leave her body through her vagina.
Why does this happen? Each month, blood and tissue build up in the uterus to prepare for a fertilized egg in case a woman becomes pregnant. (The uterus is the place inside a woman's body where a baby will grow.) If the egg isn't fertilized, that lining leaves the body through the vagina and the girl or woman has her period.
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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