Periods and fertility in the menstrual cycle (2024)

The length of the menstrual cycle varies from woman to woman, but the average is to have periods every 28 days. Regular cycles that are longer or shorter than this, from 23 to 35 days, are normal.

The menstrual cycle is the time from the first day of a woman's period to the day before her next period.

Girls can start their periods anywhere from age 8 upwards, but the average is around 12 years. The average age for the menopause (when periods stop) in this country is 51.

Between the ages of 12 and 52, a woman will have around 480 periods, or fewer if she has any pregnancies.

Read more about starting periods.

What happens during the menstrual cycle?

To understand the menstrual cycle, it helps to know about the reproductive organs inside a woman's body. These are:

  • 2 ovaries – where eggs are stored, developed and released
  • the womb (uterus) – where a fertilised egg implants and a baby develops
  • the fallopian tubes – two thin tubes that connect the ovaries to the womb
  • the cervix – the entrance to the womb from the vagin*
  • the vagin*

The menstrual cycle is controlled by hormones. In each cycle, rising levels of the hormone oestrogen cause the ovary to develop and release an egg (ovulation). The womb lining also starts to thicken.

In the second half of the cycle, the hormone progesterone helps the womb to prepare for implantation of a developing embryo.

The egg travels down the fallopian tubes. If pregnancy doesn't occur, the egg is reabsorbed into the body. Levels of oestrogen and progesterone fall, and the womb lining comes away and leaves the body as a period (the menstrual flow).

The time from the release of an egg to the start of a period is around 10 to 16 days.

Watch an animation about how the menstrual cycle works.

Video: menstrual cycle

This animation explains in detail how the menstrual cycle works.

Media last reviewed: 21 October 2023
Media review due: 21 October 2026

What are periods?

A period is made up of blood and the womb lining. The first day of a woman's period is day 1 of the menstrual cycle.

Periods last around 2 to 7 days, and women lose about 20 to 90ml (about 1 to 5 tablespoons) of blood in a period.

Some women bleed more heavily than this, but help is available if heavy periods are a problem.

Find out about heavy periods.

What happens during ovulation?

Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovaries. A woman is born with all her eggs.

Once she starts her periods, 1 egg develops and is released during each menstrual cycle.

Pregnancy happens if a man's sperm meet and fertilise the egg. Sperm can survive in the fallopian tubes for up to 7 days after sex.

Occasionally, more than 1 egg is released during ovulation. If more than 1 egg is fertilised it can lead to a multiple pregnancy, such as twins.

A woman can't get pregnant if ovulation doesn't occur. Some methods of hormonal contraception – such as the combined pill, the contraceptive patch and the contraceptive injection – work by stopping ovulation.

When are you most fertile?

Theoretically, there's only a short time when women can get pregnant, and that is the time around ovulation.

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly when ovulation happens, but in most women it happens around 10 to 16 days before the next period.

Women who have a regular, 28-day cycle are likely to be fertile around day 14 of their menstrual cycle, but this won't apply to women whose cycles are shorter or longer.

It’s possible (although not very likely) to get pregnant soon after your period finishes if you ovulate early or have a short menstrual cycle.

Having sex without penetration

It’s also possible to get pregnant if you have sex without penetration (the penis entering your vagin*).

Pregnancy can happen if sperm comes into contact with your vagin* if, for example:

  • you partner ejacul*tes very close to your vagin*
  • your partner’s erect penis comes into contact with your vagin* or vulva (genital area)

The risk of getting pregnant in this way is very low, but it can happen.

Find out more about fertility awareness (natural family planning)

Normal vagin*l secretions

vagin*l secretions (sometimes called vagin*l discharge) change during the menstrual cycle. Around the time of ovulation, they become thinner and stretchy, a bit like raw egg white.

See your GP if you are concerned about a change in your vagin*l discharge.

More information

Read more about trying to get pregnant and infertility.

Page last reviewed: 05 January 2023
Next review due: 05 January 2026

Periods and fertility in the menstrual cycle (2024)

FAQs

What is menstrual cycle question answer? ›

The menstrual cycle is a series of changes your body goes through each month to prepare for possible pregnancy. The four phases of the menstrual cycle are menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal phase. Understanding your menstrual cycle will help you know when you're most likely to get pregnant.

What is the cycle of fertility period? ›

You ovulate about 12 to 14 days before the start of a new menstrual cycle. Your fertile window is the five days leading up to ovulation, plus the day of ovulation and the day after ovulation — so about seven days in total.

How is fertility related to menstrual cycle? ›

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly when ovulation happens, but in most women it happens around 10 to 16 days before the next period. Women who have a regular, 28-day cycle are likely to be fertile around day 14 of their menstrual cycle, but this won't apply to women whose cycles are shorter or longer.

When is the highest chance of getting pregnant during menstrual cycle? ›

Here's the deal: You're most likely to get pregnant when you have sex right before and during ovulation (when an egg is released). Ovulation happens in the middle of your menstrual cycle, usually about 14 days before your period starts. The average menstrual cycle is about 25-30 days, but it can be shorter or longer.

What is menstrual short answer? ›

Menstruation is the breakdown of the uterus' endometrial lining and blood vessels, resulting in a liquid that is expelled through the vagin*l canal. The menstrual flow lasts for three to five days. Menstruation occurs every 28/29 days in human females.

What happens in menstrual cycle? ›

Menstruation is a woman's monthly bleeding, often called your “period.” When you menstruate, your body discards the monthly buildup of the lining of your uterus (womb). Menstrual blood and tissue flow from your uterus through the small opening in your cervix and pass out of your body through your vagin*.

When is my most fertile period? ›

Ovulation happens about 14 days before your period starts.
  • If your average menstrual cycle is 28 days, you ovulate around day 14, and your most fertile days are days 12, 13 and 14.
  • If your average menstrual cycle is 35 days ovulation happens around day 21 and your most fertile days are days 19,20 and 21.
Aug 28, 2018

What is the fertility rate period? ›

It is calculated by totalling the age-specific fertility rates as defined over five-year intervals. Assuming no net migration and unchanged mortality, a total fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman ensures a broadly stable population.

How long does fertility cycle last? ›

Once that egg starts its journey towards the uterus, it only stays viable for 1 day. However, sperm can live in the uterus and fallopian tubes, the tubes that connect the ovaries to the uterus, for up to 6 days. This means that there are around 6 days of the menstrual cycle during which people can become pregnant.

Do longer periods mean more fertile? ›

Irregular and long menstrual cycles have been linked to endocrine-related fertility problems such as reduced fecundability, pregnancy complications, and poor maternal health.

How am I fertile on my period? ›

Because sperm can live inside you for up to 5 days, you could have sex towards the end of your period and then conceive 4 or 5 days later with your early ovulation. The probabilities of getting pregnant during your period are low, but the possibilities are there.

Do short periods mean less fertile? ›

Shortened cycles can be an indication that the ovaries contain fewer eggs than expected. This is typically a pattern seen in the years leading up to perimenopause. Alternatively, a short cycle could indicate that ovulation is not occurring.

When are men most fertile? ›

Male Fertility Facts

Peak male fertility is around 25-29 years old. Sperm quality begins to decline at 30. At 45, men begin to experience a significant decrease in sem*n volume. Older men can also take longer to conceive a child.

Can men tell when a woman is ovulating? ›

Men can smell women's fertile phase. A long-held belief among anthropologists is that there's no way to tell exactly when a human female is ovulating. Men hoping to catch her fertile phase, therefore, would have no option but to hang around--and not go gallivanting.

When are you least likely to get pregnant during period? ›

The chances of pregnancy are lowest during a person's period and on the days on either side of the period. However, they may still become pregnant if they have ovulated early or late in their cycle, as sperm can survive in the body for several days.

What is a simple way to explain the menstrual cycle? ›

Every month the uterus wall gets ready for a baby. If there is no baby, the uterus wall comes off and bleeds a little. The blood comes out of a woman's vagin*. The body makes a new wall every month, just in case there is a baby.

What is the best definition of the menstrual cycle? ›

A menstrual cycle begins when you get your period or menstruate. This is when you shed the lining of your uterus. This cycle is part of your reproductive system and prepares your body for a possible pregnancy. A typical cycle lasts between 24 and 38 days.

What is the definition of the menstrual cycle quizlet? ›

What is it: The time between the first day of a woman's period and the day before her next period. The average length of the cycle is 28 days and the normal range is from 24 - 35 days.

What is the period short answer? ›

The time taken to complete one vibration is called time period.

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