A period (menstruation) is normal vaginal bleeding that is a natural part of a healthy monthly cycle for a person with a uterus and ovaries. Every month, in the years between puberty (typically age 11 to 14) and menopause (typically about age 51), your body readies itself for pregnancy For most women, the menstrual cycle each month lasts for three to five days.

Every month, in the years between puberty (typically age 11 to 14) and menopause (typically about age 51), your body readies itself for pregnancy. The lining of your uterus thickens and an egg grows and is released from one of your ovaries.

If pregnancy doesn’t occur, estrogen and progesterone levels fall, eventually hitting a level that tells your body to begin menstruation. During your period, the uterus sheds its lining and it’s passed, along with some blood, out of the body through the vagina.

The average person who menstruates loses about 2 to 3 table spoon blood during their period.

The time between periods (last day to first day) typically averages 28 days, with bleeding typically lasting around 4 to 5 days. However, people can experience longer time between periods, and fewer or more days of bleeding, and still have totally “regular” periods.

No method guarantees no periods, but, according to a 2014 articleTrusted Source in the International Journal of Women’s Health, you can suppress your cycle with various types of birth control such as:

• Birth control pills.If you take daily birth control pills, after a year you’ll have about a 70 percent chance of suppressing your cycle.
• Hormone shot.A hormone shot can affect your fertility for up to 22 months. After a year, you’ll have about a 50 to 60 percent chance of suppressing your cycle; about 70 percent after 2 years.
• Hormonal IUD.One year with a hormonal IUD (intrauterine device) gives you about a 50 percent chance of suppressing your cycle.

Arm implant. With a birth control implant inserted in the upper arm, your chance of suppressing your cycle is about 20 percent after 2 years.

A person might notice that their period blood smells metallic due to the presence of blood and iron. The vagina’s acidic environment and the presence of different types of healthful bacteria may also play a role in the smell of vaginal secretions and period blood. The normal pH of the vagina is 3.8–4.5, which is acidic. A pH of 7 is neutral.

The color of a person’s period blood can indicate different health conditions. For example, orange or gray blood can indicate a vaginal infection, while red or dark brown period blood can be an early sign of pregnancy.