Got your period?

Great, you're not pregnant (We’re happy if you’re happy)

But you know, periods are not just indications that you are not housing a baby in your body. Periods can give you pointers on your physical health right from the colors to the frequency.

According to the American Academy of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, your period may be used as a vital health sign. Anything from the length of your cycle to the textures and colors you see may indicate something important about your health.

I know sometimes it's hard to detangle all the medical jargon and scary-sounding names from Web-Md or Healthline, so I scoured the internet to find out what your period may say about you.

Colors! Colors! Colors!

Are the colors of a period supposed to be a Rainbow or Holi festival? According to the experts, different colors mean different things. And they are not all a RED signal (Hopefully, you see what I did there)

Red: This is just the beginning, baby!☺️

Red is the color of blood, so this is a typical color of periods. Red is often seen at the beginning of your period or on the most intense days.

It is such a nuisance and very uncomfortable when it does stain your clothes though. Let's not even talk about when this happens in public.

Brown: I'm old. Or do you have something up there?

Blood dey oxidize. When the period blood has stayed in its home of the uterus for a while, it finds a way to oxidize (because it just has to react with oxygen �.)

This is when the blood turns brown. The brown color could also be a result of heavy bleeding or even clots. It could also be because you have an IUD (Intrauterine device). This is because an IUD works by reducing the quantity of the uterus lining you are supposed to shed. So, the blood sometimes turns brown because it is waiting for the IUD to settle its KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).

Brown blood could also show up at the beginning of your period. To welcome you, I guess.

Dark red blood

When the blood has not completely reacted with oxygen, it can come out as dark red. That is what it gets for not finishing up the task.

You can see dark red as your flow comes to an end.

Pinky Pink

Pink also appears at the beginning or end of your period. This shade of pink may appear because the period blood has bonded with cervical discharge to give a secondary color - pink.

Pink is also largely related to something called spotting - the younger brother of periods. Spotting is usually a little quantity of blood, lighter, and may not even fill up a panty liner. According to Healthline, Spotting is defined as light vaginal bleeding that happens outside of your regular periods. Spotting may appear at any time within your cycle even when you are ovulating.


Blood clots: You are a woman!

Copying from Healthline again, menstrual clots are gel-like globs of coagulated blood, tissue, and blood that’s expelled from the uterus during menstruation

You shouldn’t worry about clots. However, there is math you can math. If the clot is larger than a quarter, you should see a doctor. A quarter is typically 0.955 in. (24.26 mm) in diameter and 1.75 mm thick.


Irregularity: who dey stress you?

If it’s a man, remove him from the equation.

If it’s adulting, I’m sorry.

Apparently, cortisol messes up with your period hormone and this makes your body not quite sure what to do. If your body figures it out late, the period comes in late. If it doesn’t, your period may not appear.

You should worry and see a doctor if the period cycle is over 38 days or under 24 days. If you also haven’t haven't had a period in more than 3 months, you should seek medical help.

Other things that contribute to irregularities are birth control pills and weight issues.


Cramps. Cramps. Cramps.

This doesn't need any introduction. We all have stories of the pain we feel when shedding blood. Cramps are normal but range from woman to woman.

And can we all say (as an honorable mention) how it’s uncomfortable and in my opinion, just plain unnecessary. Cramps can be PMS signs and can also be present when the period appears.

When you should worry

The cramps that are not a natural consequence of periods come earlier and overstay their welcome by being present after the period.

They also don't come with the other annoying symptoms of periods. These are not normal, so you should see your Ob/GYN.

Also when the cramp is more painful than you've normally experienced, please report to a professional.


Heavy: this thing no dey allow me rest.

Those days that you're rolling through pads faster than you can watch an Indian movie�

The thing is, light and heavy or even intense periods can mean different things to different women.

However, according to this expert, if your flow is longer than seven days and you have to change your tampon every two hours or so, you are probably bleeding on the heavier side.

This can also be normal. It may just mean your flow is heavy. It could also be a pointer to complications or infection. To be safe, consult with a Dr.

What causes period complications?

Hormones do usually misbehave
Infections can show up
Disorders of the blood
Medications such as blood-thinning medicines like aspirin
A copper IUD

Honorable Mentions

Lochia (Postpartum bleeding). Lochia is that thing that happens after childbirth where a nursing mother bleeds a mixture of blood and mucus through the vagina.

Yup. Don’t know how to react either.

Endometriosis There is a tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus. It’s called Endometrium. When a similar tissue grows outside the uterus, it becomes Endometriosis. Endometriosis is inclusive of the whole gang; your ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the tissue lining your pelvis.

Fibroids are tumors. Don’t freak out though. The tumors contain connective tissues and smooth muscle cells. They develop in the uterus. Not everyone who has fibroids will have symptoms or need treatment.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that messes up a woman’s hormone pattern. PCOS makes much more amounts of male hormones than it’s normally supposed to. This whole imbalance makes it harder to get pregnant. It also leads to irregular periods.
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It can be a minefield navigating period stuff. From the little information we were given as children, to the misinformation (Don't allow boys to touch you now or you'd get pregnant), to the stigma and shame, it is sometimes a headache. We hope this blog post may have helped you answer one or two of your most burning questions.

Remember, we are building a virtual environment where you can easily access sexual healthcare that is safe, inclusive, and stigma-free. It includes access to support and sexual healthcare professionals. Please, head over to our website amotohealth.com to learn more and sign up to be an MVP.

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