Menstruation Resources

• NICHD provides information about several topics related to menstruation and menstrual irregularities, including:
  • Amenorrhea, the absence of a menstrual period
  • Puberty and Precocious Puberty
  • Endometriosis
  • Infertility and Fertility
  • Pelvic Pain
  • Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
  • Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
  • Menopause

• The American Academy of Family Physicians is a professional organization of family doctors that maintains health information covering both wellness and disease. Read more about menstruation-related topics below:
  • All About Menstruation 
  • Amenorrhea Overview  (Amenorrea en español )
  • Dysmenorrhea Overview  (Dismenorrea en español )
  • For Parents: What to Expect When Your Child Goes Through Puberty 
    (Pubertad: qué esperar cuando su hijo atraviesa la pubertad) 
  • Menstrual Cycle Problems  (Problemas del ciclo menstrual) 

• The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) maintains a series of fact sheets about menstrual health, from the onset of menstruation to menopause, and about conditions affecting the uterus. Select a link below for more information:
  • Abnormal Uterine Bleeding  (PDF 248 KB) (Sangrado uterino anormal  (PDF 241 KB))
  • Bleeding During Pregnancy  (PDF 213 KB) (El sangrado durante el embarazo  (PDF 934 KB))
  • Dysmenorrhea: Painful Periods  (PDF 312 KB) (Dismenorrea: Períodos menstruales dolorosos  (PDF 638 KB))
  • Endometriosis  (PDF 320 KB) (Endometriosis en español  (PDF 499 KB))
  • Your First Period (Especially for Teens)  (PDF 464 KB) (Tu primer período menstrual  (PDF 741 KB))
  • Perimenopausal Bleeding and Bleeding After Menopause  (PDF - 254 KB) (Sangrado perimenopáusico y sangrado después de la menopausia  (PDF 315 KB))

• The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) is a professional organization promoting information, education, advocacy, and standards in the field of reproductive medicine.
  • Abnormal Uterine Bleeding 
  • The Menopausal Transition (Perimenopause): What Is It? 
  • Endometriosis 

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has additional information about the causes, signs, diagnosis, and possible treatments for heavy menstrual bleeding.
• For girls who are just getting their period, GirlsHealth.gov has information about what to expect, how to track the cycle, and options for managing bloating and moodiness, as well as recognizing menstrual problems. Read more by selecting one of the links below:
  • Getting Your Period
  • What Happens During Your Menstrual Cycle
  • Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
  • Period Problems

• MedlinePlus, a resource of the National Library of Medicine, maintains information on the following topics:
  • Amenorrhea—primary. Primary amenorrhea is when a girl aged 15 or older who has gone through other normal puberty changes has not yet experienced her first period.
  • Amenorrhea—secondary. Secondary amenorrhea is when a woman who has been having normal menstrual cycles stops getting her periods for 6 months or longer.
  • Menstruation

• Frequently asked questions about the menstrual cycle and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are answered online at WomensHealth.gov (y en español):
  • Menstruation and the Menstrual Cycle Fact Sheet (PDF 110 KB) (Menstruación y el ciclo menstrual hoja de datos)
  • Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) Fact Sheet (PDF 105 KB)

Please note: Links to organizations and information included on this page do not indicate endorsement from NICHD, NIH, or HHS.

• The following Division reports include information about NICHD research on menstruation and menstrual irregularities:
  • Division of Intramural Population Health Research 2015 Annual Report (PDF 1.12 MB)
  • Division of Intramural Research 2015 Annual Report
• The Reproductive Medicine Network, funded through the Fertility and Infertility Branch, conducts large, multicenter clinical trials of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for infertility and reproductive diseases and disorders.
• The National Centers for Translational Research in Reproduction and Infertility (formerly the Specialized Cooperative Centers Program in Reproduction and Infertility Research or SCCPIR), funded through the NICHD Fertility and Infertility Branch, offers scientific resources:
  • Ovarian Kaleidoscope Database 
    The database provides information regarding the biological function, expression, and regulation of genes expressed in the ovary. It also contains information on gene sequences, chromosomal localization, human and murine mutation phenotypes, and biomedical publication links.
  • Human Endometrial Tissue and DNA Bank 
    The Tissue and DNA Bank has curated genes to be regulated in the human, mouse, rat, cow, guinea pig, pig, and sheep uterus. This curation includes extraction of relative gene expression levels for genes that are significantly over- or under-expressed in the uterus.
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) 
  • This association of women's health care providers offers committee opinions, practice bulletins, and other information related to menstruation and menstrual irregularities. A login may be needed to access many ACOG items. Visit http://www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications  for more information.
  • Menstruation in Girls and Adolescents: Using the Menstrual Cycle as a Vital Sign 
    This committee opinion from ACOG provides a background on normal and abnormal menstrual cycles in adolescent females and how to work with the patient to recognize and evaluate abnormalities.
• The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)  also provides practice documents, joint statements, and other information for health care providers related to menstruation and menstrual irregularities. Some of these items may require a login to access. Visit https://www.asrm.org/ASRM_Publications_Overview/  for more details.

Please note: Links to organizations and information included on this page do not indicate endorsement from NICHD, NIH, or HHS