Menstruation calendar with cotton tampons and sanitary pads — Shutterstock/bdstudio

How long should periods last?

My girlfriend has her period for two days only. Please, I need a solution to this problem. It wasn’t like that in the beginning.

Hi my brother, first and foremost let me commend you for looking out for your girl. Many men and women shy away from the topic of a woman’s cycle. Yet it has a huge impact on a relationship; even more so in a sexually active couple.

Most guys don’t want to know about or be associated with anything to do with the period; in fact, they would do anything to get out of a situation where it is mentioned.

Some people are also brought up to think about periods as an unclean, unhygienic, and gross affair. So men get depressed, embarrassed, and ashamed during this time and wouldn’t discuss or share the issues or challenges that may come with menstruation.

Before I attempt to answer your question, I think it would be good to explain what the period is and why it happens.

What is a menstrual cycle?

Simply put, the menstrual cycle is the process in which the female body prepares for pregnancy every 28 days or so. Some women have longer or shorter cycles. Through hormonal changes, the uterus grows a thin lining in anticipation that an egg could be released, fertilized by sperm, and attached to this lining to start a new life. When fertilization doesn’t occur, the lining is shed and this is what is known as menstrual bleeding.

How long should the period last?

Most women bleed between three to five days. However, two to as many as seven days are also considered normal; so your girl is within the normal range. The number of days doesn’t really matter; unless she bleeds for more than seven days. There are, however, certain parameters that should prompt a
woman to seek medical attention.

Second, if your girlfriend is taking Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill (COCP) they could make the periods short and light.

When to see a gynecologist

•   Periods stop suddenly and you are not near menopause
•   Bleeding for more than 7 days
•   Severe pain and cramps during the period
•   Very heavy periods; large clots soaking pads or tampons every hour for two or more hours
•   Bleeding between periods

Having said that, your girl is probably okay. I think she should still consult her gynecologist given the fact that her period was longer than two days previously. You both will feel much better with a clean bill of health from the doctor.

Once more, on behalf of women, thank you very much for taking care of a sister. I hope many other men will follow you.

Do you think men need to know more about women’s periods? Join the discussion below or on Facebook. For all your menstruation questions, head to our forum.