Heavy periods - Your reproductive system

Heavy periods

Your reproductive system

Your reproductive system includes the parts of your body that help you get pregnant.

Eggs released by the ovaries travel down the fallopian tubes to the womb.

Your ovaries: Your ovaries store eggs. You become pregnant when a sperm joins with (fertilizes) a mature egg that was released by the ovary.Your ovaries also make the main female

hormones
Hormones are chemicals that are made in certain parts of the body. They travel through the bloodstream and have an effect on other parts of the body. For example, the female sex hormone estrogen is made in a woman's ovaries. Estrogen has many different effects on a woman's body. It makes the breasts grow at puberty and helps control periods. It is also needed to get pregnant.

hormones that control your periods. These hormones are called estrogen and progesterone.
Your fallopian tubes: These are two tubes that carry eggs from your ovaries to your womb.
Your womb: This is where a fertilized egg grows into a baby. Your womb is connected to your vagina at one end and your fallopian tubes at the other. Another name for the womb is uterus.
Your endometrium: This is the lining of your womb. If an egg is fertilized, it sticks to the endometrium and starts to grow there. But if there is no fertilized egg or the egg doesn't stick, the upper layer of the endometrium breaks down and your period starts.
Your cervix: This is the entrance to your womb from your vagina.
Your vagina: This is the passage from your womb to the outside of your body. During your period, blood leaves your body through your vagina.

This information was last updated on Aug 03, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2010. All rights reserved.

The information on ConsumerReportsHealth.org should not be viewed as a substitute for a consultation with a medical or health professional. The information is meant to enhance communication with your doctor, not replace it. Consumers Union can not be liable for any loss, injury, or other damages related to your use of this information.

Your use of this information is subject to our User Agreement available at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.