The menstrual cycle is complex and is controlled by many different glands and the hormones that these glands produce. The four phases of the menstrual cycle are menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal phase. Common problems include heavy or painful periods and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
A brain structure called the hypothalamus causes the nearby pituitary gland to produce certain chemicals, which prompt the ovaries to produce the sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone.
Menstruation is the elimination of the thickened lining of the uterus (endometrium) from the body through the vagina. Menstrual fluid contains blood, cells from the lining of the uterus (endometrial cells) and mucus. The average length of a period is between three days and one week.
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