How healthy are your menstrual cycles? Take a simple quiz to find out.
As some of you are probably aware, our menstrual cycles are intimately connected with our nervous, digestive, circulatory, and reproductive systems.
The quality and regularity of our menstrual cycles reflect the overall functions of our body and mind as a whole, and can give us warning signs on areas of potential disharmonies or diseases.
Because our menstrual cycle is a window to our overall health, it’s very important to learn its language and cultivate an intimate, friendly and harmonious relationship with it.
It’s also important to take its warning signs seriously, because when you catch a problem early on, it’s always a lot easier to correct.
There are several key indicators to evaluate if you have healthy menstrual cycles. Below is a checklist for you to do a quick self-evaluation…
Menstrual Health Quiz
| Indicator | Score: 0 | Score: 1 | Score: 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Age at First Period | 11-17 years old | <10 years old | No periods |
| 2 | Menstrual Cycle Length | 28-30 days | 21-35 days | Irregular |
| 3 | Period Duration | 2-7 days | <2 days | >8 days |
| 4 | Spotting Between Periods | No | Occasionally | Often |
| 5 | Bleeding Volume | Moderate | Too little | Too much @ |
| 6 | Menstrual Pain | No | Mild | Severe |
| 7 | PMS | No | Mild | Severe |
| 8 | Missing Periods * | No | Occasionally | Often |
| 9 | Abnormal Periods # | No | Occasionally | Often |
* Missing Periods: Period doesn’t come when it should.
# Abnormal Periods: Bleeding doesn’t stop when it should.
@ Too Much Bleeding: May soak through pads regularly, or need to change pads every hour or so.
What Is Your Menstrual Health Score?
Excellent (0)
If you score 0 for all 9 indicators, you have a perfect score and are enjoying healthy menstrual cycles. Congratulations!
It looks like you have been doing an excellent job of taking care of your menstrual cycles and your overall health.
Keep up the good work!
Average (1)
If you have a score of 1 for any of the 9 indicators, you may have areas of imbalance in your health.
It could be due to diet, exercise, sleep, stress, or emotional or environmental factors.
By creating healthier lifestyles and taking better care of yourself, you can bring your menstrual cycles back to balance on your own, usually without medical intervention.
However, if left unchecked, even mild symptoms can develop into a more serious problem down the road.
Poor (2)
If you have a score of 2 for any of the 9 indicators, you may consider seeing a gynecologist to rule out a more serious health issue, such as fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), infertility, or a malignant tumor of the ovaries, pituitary gland, or cervix, etc.
With or without medical help, I believe each of us is ultimately responsible for our own health. Get started with my Free Period Guide.
Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, by Christiane Northrup
The Hormone Cure, by Dr. Sara Gottfried
WomanCode: Perfect Your Cycle, Amplify Your Fertility, Supercharge Your Sex Drive, and Become a Power Source, by Alisa Vitti
2w32 says
December 11, 2012 at 1:38 am3
christenpotts says
November 10, 2012 at 10:09 amThat was fun!!!
Jingtastic says
November 24, 2012 at 11:49 amGlad you had fun with it Christen 🙂
Bree says
November 5, 2012 at 9:25 amHappy to see that based on the chart, my menstrual health is excellent. Thank you so much for this information!