she experiences her period on a monthly basis. You see, the first time I got my period, I

had no idea what was going on. I walked into the washroom, tra la la la la, took down my

underwear and I was like "What is this?" Because I never got "the talk," so I was so concerned.

My mind was racing. "Did I fall off my bike earlier today?" I had no idea what was going

on. I'm pretty sure most girls go through that denial phase where you hate it, but you

can't look away, so I was just like "I'm dying. I'm dying." What you may or may not realize

is that every single time a woman has her period, it's because her body was preparing

to get pregnant and have a child. You know, the act that perpetuates our entire species?

Yes. Every single month the female body goes through an incredibly complex and fascinating

transformation called the menstrual cycle. It all starts in the ovaries, which each contain

over 100,000 eggs. Once a month, one egg will release, which spends roughly three days making

its way to the uterus and while it's making its way there, the uterus begins to create

a lining, which is rich in nutrients and everything essential to begin life. Under the right circumstances,

sperm will fertilize the egg and begin pregnancy in the womb. Before this, however, female

ovaries increase production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone and these hormones

promote and maintain the special lining of the uterus. But the hormones also enter the

bloodstream and travel throughout the body including your brain. It's here that estrogen

and progesterone are thought to interfere with other chemical messengers in the brain,

called neurotransmitters. And this can lead to the notorious premenstrual syndrome, or

PMS in women. More like "period my sucks"... Science. So there's a whole bunch of chemicals

in my brain and they're all out of whack, messing with the mind every single month.

I mean, science is messing with my conscious. I'm irritable and anxious and I haven't even

started my period yet. Which brings up an important point: PMS is not the same thing

as your period, which is perhaps one of the biggest myths out there. It actually happens

7-14 days before a girl even shows signs of bleeding. This is because estrogen and progesterone

levels peak during the creation of the uterine lining. Roughly 50-80% of women have experienced

some degree of physical or psychological PMS symptoms, but many aren't even aware that

PMS can occur so much earlier than the period as contemporary culture perpetuates the myth

that it's menstruation (or the period itself) that causes these hormonal changes. PMS can

manifest itself as psychological symptoms such as mood changes. I hate you so much,

but you're kind of cute at the same time, but I want to kill you. Anger. Crying. Irritability.

It's fine. It's fine. It's fine. It's fine. It's fine. It's fine. Or as physical symptoms

such as upset stomach, difficulty sleeping, nausea. One woman's PMS is not like the other,

which is why health professionals have trouble finding a clear understanding of how it all

works. Other physical changes take place as well. The amygdala in the brain, which controls

emotion increases its activity. We also see lower levels of the feel good chemical serotonin

and the neurotransmitter gaba which has anti-anxiety effects, meaning stress and anxiety run high.

Oh, okay, so, you're wondering why I feel this way when all this stuff is happening

in my body? Because I can become a hot mess and I cannot control it. It's like I want

to make out with you, but I also don't want you to touch me. Because like you're good

looking and stuff, but I also hate you. And I want lots of chocolate. And here I am thinking

that maybe I'm just having a bad day or I'm being crazy because it's not happening at

the same time as my period. But no, it could have just been PMS. But when menstruation

(or the period) begins, these hormone levels drop sharply. After no fertilization occurs,

estrogen and progesterone levels drop and the body realizes it just ain't happening.

As a result, it begins to literally shed the layer it had created for a potential fetus.

And this shedding of the membrane and mucus has nowhere to go but out, which, of course,

has its pitfalls as well. But this is when the really fun part starts. Because although

there's not the same amount of hormones raging around in my brain, now I get to push an unused

membrane of mucus and blood out of my system. It's honestly a lot of fun, because it causes

cramping and bloating and the wonderful condition of wanting to poop but not being able to.

Of course, when it ends, the cycle gets to start all over again, a cycle which is essential

for the perpetuation of our species. So if I'm having an off day, dude, just know, I'm

doing it for humanity. Because there's only a few consistent cycles in the universe. The

sun rises and sets. Tides come in and out. And my menstruation. So appreciate. That's

right. Women are awesome, okay? We'll be here signing autographs all night. Seriously. Without

the persistent nature of the menstruation cycle, our very existence as a species would

be completely altered. So while changes in mood may be a byproduct of this incredible

event, we wager it's all worth it. So thank you women, for being strong enough to put

up with PMS and menstruation. We owe you for this one. Be sure to check out the amazing

Lilly's YouTube channel iiSuperwomanii, for more hilarious videos. Seriously, she is one

of the funniest people on YouTube. We'll put a link in the description below. And subscribe

for more weekly science videos! No but for real though, like, you can get pretty crazy

when you're on your period. If you don't believe me, this is actually a self-portrait I did

while I was on my period. Nice.