Physiology of the female body at different periods of life. Age periods of the female body Age periods in a woman’s life gynecology

2. Age periods of a woman’s life

Having become familiar with the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the female genital organs at different age periods, it will be easier for you to understand many of the biological processes occurring in a woman’s body.

The age and functional characteristics of a woman’s reproductive system are closely dependent on a number of factors. First of all, the periods of a woman’s life are of great importance. It is customary to distinguish:

1) period of intrauterine development;

2) the period of childhood (from birth to 9-10 years);

3) period of puberty (from 9-10 years to 13-14 years);

4) adolescence (from 14 to 18 years);

5) period of puberty, or childbearing (reproductive), age from 18 to 40 years; transition period, or premenopause (from 41 to 50 years);

6) the period of aging, or postmenopause (from the moment of permanent cessation of menstrual function).

During the prenatal period the formation, development and maturation of all organs and systems of the fetus, including the reproductive system, occurs. During this period, the formation and embryonic development of the ovaries occur, which are one of the most important links in the regulation of the function of the reproductive system of the female body after birth.

During the prenatal period, various factors (intoxication, acute and chronic infections, ionizing radiation, medications, etc.) can have a damaging effect on the embryo or fetus. These factors can cause malformations of various organs and systems, including the genitals. Such congenital abnormalities in the development of the genital organs can lead to disruption of the functions characteristic of the female body. Intrauterine developmental defects that arise under the influence of the factors listed above may be accompanied by damage to various parts of the regulation of the menstrual cycle. As a result, girls during puberty may experience various disturbances in menstrual function, and subsequently in reproductive function.

During childhood There is relative rest of the reproductive system. Only during the first few days after the birth of a girl can she experience the so-called sexual crisis (bloody discharge from the vagina, engorgement of the mammary glands). This occurs under the influence of the cessation of the action of placental hormones, which occurs after childbirth. In childhood, the organs of the reproductive system gradually grow, but the features typical for this age are preserved: the predominance of the size of the cervix over the size of the body of the uterus, convoluted fallopian tubes, the absence of mature follicles in the ovaries, etc. During childhood, there are no secondary sexual characteristics.

Puberty characterized by relatively rapid growth of the organs of the reproductive system and primarily the uterus (mainly its body). In a girl of this age, secondary sexual characteristics appear and develop: a female-type skeleton is formed (especially the pelvis), female-type fat is deposited, hair growth is noted first on the pubis, and then in the armpits. The most striking sign of puberty is the onset of the first menstruation. For girls living in the middle zone, their first menstruation appears at the age of 11-13 years. Then, for about a year, menstruation may be irregular, and many periods occur without ovulation (the appearance of an egg). The onset and formation of menstrual function occurs under the influence of cyclic changes in the nervous system and endocrine glands, namely the ovaries. Ovarian hormones have a corresponding effect on the uterine mucosa, causing characteristic cyclic changes in it, i.e. the menstrual cycle. The teenage period is also known as the transitional period, since at this time there is a transition to the onset of puberty - the flourishing of the function of the organs of the female reproductive system.

Puberty period is the longest in a woman's life. Due to the regular maturation of follicles in the ovaries and ovulation (the release of an egg), as well as the subsequent development of the corpus luteum, all the necessary conditions for pregnancy are created in the female body. Regular cyclical changes occurring in the central nervous system, ovaries and uterus, which externally manifests itself in the form of regular menstruation, are the main indicator of the health of a woman of childbearing age.

Premenopausal period characterized by the transition from the state of puberty to the cessation of menstrual function and the onset of old age. During this period, women often develop various disorders of menstrual function, which may be caused by age-related disorders of the central mechanisms that regulate the function of the genital organs.

Aging period characterized by a complete cessation of menstruation and general aging of the female body.

The frequency of diseases of the genital organs in women is closely related to the age periods of their life. Thus, during childhood, inflammatory diseases of the external genitalia and vagina occur relatively often. During puberty, uterine bleeding and other menstrual dysfunction are common. During puberty, inflammatory diseases of the genital organs most often occur, as well as menstrual irregularities of various origins, genital cysts, and infertility. At the end of the childbearing period, the frequency of benign and malignant tumors of the genital organs increases. During premenopause, inflammatory processes of the genital organs are less common, but the frequency of tumor processes and menstrual dysfunction (menopausal bleeding) increases significantly. During the postmenopausal period, prolapse and prolapse of the genital organs, as well as malignant tumors, occur more often than before. The age specificity of diseases of the female genital organs is mainly determined by the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the female body during certain periods of life.

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Women's hygiene during menstruation3. Protective barriers of the female body

The period of puberty of a girl. Puberty takes about 10 years. Its age limits are 7(8)-17(18) years. During this time, in addition to the maturation of the reproductive system, the physical development of the female body ends: body growth in length, the formation of a physique and the distribution of fat and muscle tissue according to the female type. The physiological period of puberty occurs in a strictly defined sequence. During the puberty period (7-9 years), a growth spurt is observed, the first signs of a female figure appear: the hips become rounded, the female pelvis begins to form, and the vaginal mucosa thickens. In the 1st phase of puberty (10-13 years), mammary glands begin to enlarge and pubic hair begins to grow. This period ends with the first menstruation - menarche (at the age of about 13 years), which coincides with the end of rapid body growth in length. In the 2nd phase of puberty (14-17 years), the mammary glands and sexual hair complete their development; the last to finish is armpit hair, which begins at 13 years of age. The menstrual cycle becomes normal (two-phase), body length growth stops and the female pelvis is finally formed.

In case of menstrual cycle disorders in children and adolescents, it is imperative to contact special pediatric gynecologists and pediatricians. Timely, qualified treatment will, in most cases, normalize the menstrual cycle and thus ensure normal reproductive function in the future. Puberty occurs at the age of 16-18, when a woman’s entire body is fully formed and ready for conception, pregnancy, childbirth and feeding a newborn.

Period of puberty. The period of puberty, or reproductive period, takes about 30 years - from 16-18 to 45 years. During this period, a woman has a two-phase menstrual cycle. Its physiological mechanism is very complex. In a simplified form, it can be represented as follows. In the subcortical zone of the brain, pulsating secretion of special chemicals (neurosecrets) occurs, which enter the anterior pituitary gland through the circulatory system. Special cells of this endocrine gland produce two types of so-called gonadotropic hormones: luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). These hormones, entering the blood, act on the ovary, stimulate the growth of the follicle, in which sex hormones (estrogens) begin to be produced and the maturation of the egg occurs. An increase in the production of LH and FSH in the middle of the menstrual cycle (days II-15) leads to rupture of the follicle and the release of the egg into the abdominal cavity (1st phase of the cycle). At the site of the follicle; The corpus luteum appears, in which the production of the corpus luteum hormone progesterone begins (phase 2 of the cycle). Under the influence of estrogenic hormones in the uterine mucosa, restoration and growth of epithelial cells of the functional layer of the uterine mucosa occurs (1st phase of the cycle). After ovulation and the start of production of the corpus luteum hormone (progesterone), glands appear in the uterine mucosa, which are filled with secretions (2nd phase of the cycle, 15-28 days).

If fertilization does not occur, then the corpus luteum withers, decreases, and then stops the production of progesterone. This leads to the necrosis of the functional layer of the uterine mucosa, and it begins to be rejected - menstruation begins. At this time, as a result of changes in the concentration of ovarian sex hormones in the blood, the next process of production of neurosecrets in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, the development of a new follicle and the maturation of the next egg in the ovary begin again. All these complex processes regularly occur in the body of a healthy woman throughout the entire period of puberty. Menstrual cycle - cyclical changes in a woman’s reproductive system from the 1st day of the previous menstruation to the 1st day of the next menstruation. The normal duration of the menstrual cycle is 21-35 days. Menstruation is the discharge of blood from the genital tract at the end of each two-phase menstrual cycle. The normal duration of menstruation is 2-7 days.

Menopause. Currently, the following terms are accepted instead of the terms “menopause” and “menopause”:

premenopausal period - from 45 years to the onset of menopause;

Menopause is a period of absence of menstruation. The last menstrual period occurs on average at the age of 50.8 years;

perimenopausal period - postmenopausal period and 2 years after menopause;

The postmenopausal period begins after menopause and lasts until the end of life.

By the age of 45, a woman’s reproductive capacity fades, and by the age of 55, the hormonal function of the reproductive system declines.

The premenopausal period of life is characterized by a woman’s high social activity, due to accumulated life experience, knowledge, etc. At the same time, at this age the body’s defenses decrease, non-infectious morbidity increases, and body weight gradually increases against the background of pronounced changes in the reproductive system. A gradual decrease in the hormonal function of the ovaries begins, which is characterized by the onset of menopause. As a result of dysfunction of the ovaries, bleeding occurs from the altered mucous membrane of the uterus.

In postmenopause, a progressive decline in ovarian hormonal function continues. At the same time, involution processes occur not only in the organs of the reproductive system, but also in all other organs and systems. The uterus becomes smaller, the vaginal mucosa becomes thinner, folding decreases, and vaginal dryness appears. Atrophic changes occur in the bladder, urethra, and pelvic floor muscles. This leads to stress urinary incontinence, prolapse of the walls of the vagina and uterus. Metabolism changes significantly with excessive deposition of subcutaneous fat. Blood clotting increases due to a decrease in the production of estrogen hormones, bone loss of calcium and a decrease in bone substance begin. All this leads to serious consequences: osteochondrosis, fractures of tubular bones and the most dangerous of them - a fracture of the femoral neck. For various complications of the menopausal period, as well as for the purpose of their prevention, it is necessary to contact an obstetrician-gynecologist. Modern medicine has highly effective means that can reliably prevent the complications listed above and ensure a high quality of life for pre- and postmenopausal women.

List of used literature:

1. Basics of sexology (HUMAN SEXUALITY). William G. Masters, Virginia E. Johnson, Robert K. Colodny. Per. from English - M.: Mir, 1998. - x + 692 p., ill. ISBN 5-03-003223-1

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In a woman’s life, there are several periods that are characterized by certain age
anatomical and physiological features. There is no clear boundary between the periods; one period smoothly turns into
another. Age limits may vary slightly depending on climatic conditions,
state of health of organs and systems, state of psychological stability, characteristics of biological and
social factors.

Puberty

Begins at 8-9 years old, ending at 17-18 years old. During this period, the gonads are activated, further
development of the genital organs, secondary sexual characteristics appear, such as enlarged mammary glands,
female-type hair growth, change in appearance. During this period, the first menstruation comes and
the cyclicity of the menstrual cycle is established. At the end of puberty, the body
girls are anatomically and functionally ready for procreation. Puberty is mediated by women
sex hormones that are produced in the ovary, and their production, in turn, is subject to cyclic
fluctuations in hormones of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus. The period of puberty is the most responsible period in
a woman’s life, since her further physical and reproductive health will depend on
established menstrual cycle. During this period, the girl’s body is especially sensitive to various
factors such as dietary errors, frequent infections, intoxication, excessive physical activity, etc.
Based on this, certain requirements are imposed during this period on parents, school, medical and
social workers. A complete, balanced diet, hardening, and sanitation are of great importance
chronic foci of infection, maintaining psychological balance, preventing bad habits.
Particularly great responsibility falls on the parents, in particular on the girl’s mother, who must, in addition to
everything else, prepare the girl psychologically for the first menstruation, the appearance of sexual feelings and
responsibility for the future.

Puberty - reproductive period

Its duration varies from person to person; on average, it lasts up to 40-45 years. This period is characterized
maturity of all specific functions of the female body, the most important of which is the ability to
childbirth. Actively functioning ovaries secrete female sex hormones that have protective
properties on the activity of the most important organs and systems - cardiovascular, central nervous system, mineral metabolism and
etc. This is a period of physical, creative activity of women. The most important factors in preserving reproductive
health are general hygiene, sexual hygiene, family planning and somatic preservation
health. The health of women at this age affects the course and outcome of pregnancy, as well as health
future generation.

Menopause

This is a natural, physiological period of cessation of childbearing function. It is divided into sodium phases:

• premenopause(2-5 years before the cessation of menstruation). There is a gradual decline in ovarian function,
  menstruation becomes irregular;
• menopause- the actual cessation of menstruation;
• postmenopause(5 years after the cessation of menstruation). During this period, the woman’s body is completely
  is rebuilt to exist in a new capacity, a period of rest begins.

The menopausal period places increased demands on a woman’s body, as a decrease in
the production of female sex hormones is accompanied by changes in well-being, mood, and the appearance
menopausal symptoms, which often acquire a pathological course.

Estrogen deficiency can be considered as a natural physiological process. But the appearance
menopausal symptoms, such as metabolic-endocrine, psycho-emotional, cardiovascular,
urogenital, significantly worsens the quality of life of women. Change the situation, improve your well-being
Changing a woman’s lifestyle will help. Diet changes need to be made to reduce fat intake and
carbohydrates, increasing the share of fermented milk products, fish, lean meat, vegetables and fruits, vegetable
fats and vitamins. It is recommended to increase physical activity as much as possible, walk and swim more.
Activities to her liking, hobbies, and interest clubs will help a woman during this difficult period. The main thing is not
stay alone, don’t get caught up in age-related changes, don’t succumb to depression.

In the specialized medical literature, there are reports of pregnancy in a six-year-old girl with premature sexual development and in a 113-year-old woman, who was apparently distinguished by the special preservation and activity of the endocrine system.

Of course, such cases belong to the category of casuistic, that is, exceptional, falling out of social patterns. But even within the limits of the laws, individual fluctuations are very large, and therefore it is impossible to say with absolute accuracy from what age and ending with what age a woman is able to become pregnant and give birth to a child.

There are six periods in the development of the female body. This is the period childhood(up to 8 years), the period preceding puberty ( prepubertal- 8-11 years old); period of puberty ( pubertal- 12-18 years old); childbearing(reproductive - 19-45 years); transitional ( climacteric 45-55 years): period of withering ( postmenopause- after 55 years).

Their change is determined by the changes that occur in the gonads, in the cerebral cortex, its subcortical structures (hypothalamus), and in the leading endocrine gland - the pituitary gland.

The female sex glands are the ovaries. An egg matures in them, capable of merging with a male reproductive cell - a sperm - to give rise to a new life. But the maturation of the egg occurs only if there is a clear interaction between the functions of the ovary and the mechanisms that regulate its activity. In its most general form, it goes like this: the hypothalamus produces hormones that stimulate the pituitary gland, and pituitary hormones awaken the activity of the ovaries.

In the first years of a girl's life, the regulatory systems and especially the ovaries are almost inactive. This period is rightly called “rest of the reproductive system.” Only within a few days after the birth of a girl, under the influence of placental and maternal hormones, she may develop the phenomenon of the so-called sexual crisis (bloody discharge from the vagina, engorgement of the mammary glands).

Only in the prepubertal period does the formation of the complex system hypothalamus - pituitary gland - ovaries begin. For some time, her activities proceed chaotically, with many disruptions and dissonances. The reproductive cell, as a rule, does not yet mature, but under the influence of hormones produced by the pituitary gland and ovaries, signs of puberty appear - a female physique is formed, and the mammary glands develop. From 11 to 15 years, girls experience a period of rapid growth, they seem to “stretch out”; from 15 to 19 years, processes of fatty tissue deposition predominate; The girl doesn’t stretch out so much as she gets fatter and takes shape.

From the moment the first menstruation appears, and this can happen from 11 to 16 years, puberty begins (that is, the period of puberty). Now a clearer relationship is being established between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and ovaries. Menstruation gradually becomes regular. The time of onset and course of puberty is influenced by external and internal factors. Internal factors include hereditary and constitutional factors, health status and body weight; to external ones - climatic (illumination, geographical location, altitude), nature of nutrition (content of proteins, vitamins, fats, carbohydrates, microelements in food).

I wouldn’t want, of course, for the decline of reproductive function to be perceived as a decline of the body in general. No, that's a long way off! A woman even during menopause is still full of strength, energy, and attractiveness. It must be said that sexologists believe that prolonging intimate life at this age helps to prolong the activity of the endocrine system and maintain general tone.

Sevostyanova Oksana Sergeevna

Until a child is 8-9 years old, sex hormones are produced mainly by the adrenal cortex. Their level is extremely low and is the same in both boys and girls. Later, the sex glands turn on - the ovaries in girls, the testicles (or testicles) in boys - and changes begin in the body.

Beginning of menstruation

The 1813 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica states that the normal age for the onset of menstruation is 16 years; at an earlier age, menstruation should be considered a disease and treated like normal bleeding - by applying leeches. Additional symptoms of the disease were considered to be a full face, full chest, sighs and a fervent imagination. It sounds funny, and yet the observation is completely accurate. Estrogens - sex hormones that are synthesized in the ovaries - contribute to the deposition of fat according to the female type - on the hips and buttocks, the growth of the mammary glands and can really influence the mood of a girl, making her more irritable, impatient, and impetuous. On the other hand, additional estrogen synthesis occurs in the formed fatty tissues, so weight gain and puberty are inextricably linked with each other. Obese girls tend to stop growing earlier and get their periods earlier.

Over two hundred years, acceleration, improved nutrition, and mass physical education have done their job. Now puberty before the age of 16 is already considered the norm, and not a pathology.

In the second decade of a girl’s life, her gonads begin to actively work. The ovaries are triggered by the pituitary gland with the help of two hormones - follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). They stimulate the production of ovarian hormones - estrogen and progesterone. Under the influence of these hormones, the girl’s body begins to change: at 8-10 years old, the pelvic bones expand and the buttocks become rounded - a female figure begins to form; at 9-10 years old, nipples rise; at 11-12 years old, mammary glands begin to grow; at 10-12 years old - pubic hair growth, at 13-14 years old - in the armpits, and finally, at 12-14 years old, menstruation appears, which, as a rule, becomes regular after a year. Even later, at 16-18 years of age, the level of sex hormones becomes so high that they inhibit the production of growth hormone and stop the growth of bones in length. The girl becomes a girl ready for motherhood.

On average, puberty lasts from 3 to 7 years. Of course, all periods are individual, they depend on heredity, the girl’s lifestyle, her diet, weight, health, etc. And yet, if menstruation starts too early or too late, we can talk about pathology.

When to see a doctor

Unfortunately, many mothers believe that there is no need for a girl to see a gynecologist until she grows up. But by the time this happens, both mother and daughter may be in for unpleasant surprises. Therefore, even if everything goes well, at the age of 10-12 a girl should definitely visit a doctor (it is better if it is a specialist teenage gynecologist). If something bothers her, she can and should see a doctor even earlier.

Precocious puberty

What if a girl’s sexual development is sharply ahead of the norm? If the formation of a female-type figure, enlargement of the mammary glands, growth of shaft hair on the pubis and in the armpits, as well as bloody discharge from the uterus appear even in a junior schoolgirl?

The cause may be the pathology of pregnancy, which leads to increased intracranial pressure in the child in the first year of life, and irritation of the pituitary gland, which gives the gonads a signal ahead of time. Such patients are prescribed diuretics, drugs that improve cerebral circulation, vitamin therapy, and physiotherapy. Premature puberty in a girl may also be associated with the development of an ovarian tumor that produces female sex hormones. Therefore, if signs of premature puberty appear, you must immediately contact a gynecologist and examine the ovaries.

Delayed puberty

Slow sexual development can be caused by severe infections suffered in childhood, especially chronic diseases of the ENT organs: tonsillitis, sinusitis, otitis media, etc.

Delayed sexual development is often (though not always) combined with underdevelopment of the genital organs. Unfortunately, this pathology is rarely detected in adolescence, when it is easy to cure by prescribing drugs that improve the functioning of the central nervous system and physical therapy for the area of ​​the uterus and ovaries. It happens that a woman is unaware of her illness for years until she discovers that she is suffering from infertility or cannot bear a child.

Precocious puberty can cause a very young girl to become pregnant and give birth to a child. The youngest mother to give birth to a live child is 5-year-old Liina Medina from Peru. On May 14, 1939, she gave birth to a 2.7 kg boy by Caesarean section. Liina's son grew up healthy, but died at the age of 40 from bone marrow disease.

The following situations may be cause for concern:

• By the age of 13-14, the mammary glands have not begun to develop, there is a lag in growth and hair growth (delayed sexual development)
• Early (before 10-11 years) appearance of secondary sexual characteristics
• Lack of menstruation after 14 years
• Menstruation remains irregular for 1-1.5 years
• Cycle duration is less than 21 or more than 35 days, absence of menstruation for more than 1.5-2 months
• Painful periods
• Excessively heavy periods, or lasting more than 7 days, or accompanied by a significant disturbance in the general condition of menstruation
• Vaginal discharge that is unusual in color, character, or smell
• Itching, burning, discomfort in the external genital area or when urinating
• The presence in the immediate environment of people who have been ill or are suffering from sexually transmitted infections
• Warty formations in the area of ​​the external genitalia, especially if there are similar manifestations in other places (vulgar warts, molluscum contagiosum on the hands, etc.)
• Excessive hair growth on legs, face, chest
• Beginning of sexual activity