• Question: Why do girls have periods?

    Asked by shaniqua to Mike, Pip, Tianfu, Tim, Tom on 27 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Philippa Bird

      Philippa Bird answered on 27 Jun 2012:

      Your menstrual cycle produces one egg a month which can be fertilised to make a baby. When an egg is released from your ovaries, the lining of your womb begins to build up so that the newly fertilised embryo can implant there and begin to grow into a baby. However, if the egg is not fertilised, the lining breaks down again and that is your period. Then it all repeats the next month. I have no idea why the lining can’t just be maintained the whole time, I guess it’s to do with the energy required by the body to maintain it – nature tends to do things which cost it less energy.

    • Photo: Tom Lister

      Tom Lister answered on 27 Jun 2012:

      What Pip said, as well as the body likes to get rid of any lining to clean away viruses and bacteria which would otherwise build up. That way, each potential baby gets a clean new bed of blood rich lining.

    • Photo: Tim Stephens

      Tim Stephens answered on 27 Jun 2012:

      Pip +1

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