Anovulatory cycle
While the normal menstrual cycle in the human typically lasts 4 weeks (28 days, range 24–35 days) and consists of a follicular phase, ovulation, and a luteal phase, followed by either menstruation or pregnancy, the anovulatory cycle has cycle
lengths of varying degrees. In many circumstances, menstrual intervals are prolonged exceeding 35 days leading to oligomenorrhea (cycle >35 – 180 days interval), or even longer, amenorrhea. In other cases, menstruation may be fairly regular (eumenorrhea), or more frequent (intervals < 21 days), or there may be a loss of menstrual pattern (menorrhagia, dysfunctional uterine bleeding).
Menstruation
There is a wide spectrum of differences in how women experience menstruation. There are several ways that someone's menstrual cycle can differ from the norm, any of which should be discussed with a doctor to identify the underlying cause:
There is a movement among gynecologists to discard the terms noted above, which although they are widely used, do not have precise definitions. Many now argue to describe menstruation in simple terminology, including: