In this spellbinding moment of imperfect existence, where our government make big speeches about women safety hardly pays attention to the fact that 43% of women in India, do not have the space to use sanitary pads in the initial stage of their periods. The question is not about the respective fact, but about the inclination of the government towards the step to spread awareness about the protection of the basic right of the women. The biological process in which the uterus of the woman’s body sheds its lining in the form of blood through the vagina is called menstruation. The length of the menstrual cycle varies for every woman (generally from 21 to 45 days). The respective process is accompanied by lower back pain, muscle cramps, abdominal pain, food cravings, mood swings and irritability etc. Now, as we go ahead, it is very important for women to know that different colours of menstrual blood indicate different health conditions, which could take a hazardous turn if they go unnoticed.
The first condition is when the colour of the blood is grey. It indicates a medically treatable condition called bacterial vaginosis, which can be a vital sign of infection or pregnancy. The build-up of harmful bacteria in the vagina causes itching in and around the vagina, vagina smelling fishy, burning and painful sensation in urination. To prevent it one should wear clean underwear and visit the doctor regularly for checkups during periods.

Period talk among menstruating girls
The second condition is when the colour of the blood is pink. The process in which pink blood comes out as the menstrual blood is termed as spotting. Taking birth control pills or doing a lot of physical exercises reduces estrogen levels in the body of the female, which can lead to osteoporosis(weak bones and muscles), which leads to pinkish blood. Conventionally, when the menstrual blood collaborates with fertile cervical fluid, then the blood turns out to be pink. Cervical fluid is responsible for the nourishment of sperm, such that it meets the egg properly, in order to conceive. Unhealthy diet and anaemia are also linked to the pinkish blood.

Pink Colour blood flow during menstruation.
The third condition is when the colour of the blood is orange. Orange blood generally indicates a sexually transmitted disease, called trichomoniasis or bacterial vaginal infection, accompanied by vaginal inflammation, vaginal itching and foul smelling odour. Strangely on the other side of the coin, it indicates that the health is completely normal, devoid of any complicated circumstances. It is highly recommended to go to a doctor in the respective case.

Orange colour blood flow during menstruation
The fourth condition is when the colour of the blood is bright red. Bright red blood is new, fresh and the blood which is associated with the steady flow. The colour of the blood increases its intensity naturally by darkening itself each day or the colour may remain constantly bright red throughout the periods. Both the conditions are connected to equal probability. It is said that in rare to rare cases bright red bleeding is a sign of cervical cancer, which is accompanied by heavier periods in terms of both volume of blood and the overall duration, bleeding taking place after sexual intercourse, vaginal discharge associated with bad smell, taking place, pain in pelvic region, lower back and legs, loss of appetite leading to weight loss. Bright red blood with foul-smelling vaginal discharge and painful urination can also indicate sexually transmitted infections like Chlamydia and gonorrhoea. These infections can even cause the formation of non-cancerous structures, termed as uterine polyps. These structures cause irregular bleeding between the periods and excessive blood flow during the periods. As you can see here that the condition of bright red blood is quite controversial, so it is advisable to talk to a doctor for proper diagnosis.

which colour blood do you shed during menstruation
The fifth condition is when the colour of the blood is rusty(reddish brown). This condition generally occurs in the starting or end stage of the period. When the menstrual blood gets older, it gets discharged from uterus and vagina, eventually preparing for the next menstrual cycle. Sometimes, it happens that brown blood indicates early signs of normal pregnancy or ectopic pregnancy(egg settles down in the fallopian tube, and not in the uterus,i.e.embroy attaches on the outer side of the uterus, and is difficult to diagnose). Sometimes the discharge of dark brown blood is the case of Lochia, which means bleeding after giving birth, and it is completely normal, but should be once seen by the doctor.

Rusty colour blood flow during menstruation
The sixth condition is when the colour of the blood is black. The blood that takes enough time to oxidize fully before coming out of the body, in the initial or last stage of the period, turns out to be black. The blood does not turn to black directly, but first it turns to reddish-brown and then it turns to black, so pay attention to this point. Black blood is also a sign of blocked vagina, accompanied by fever, painful urination, itching in the area of the vagina and a bad-smelling discharge. One must visit a doctor if fever occurs during the discharge of black blood.

Different colour blood flow during menstruation and what do they mean
So, now, we know mainly all the prominent shades of menstrual blood. The concept of shades of blood is controversial because, at one side of the coin, it signifies that the health condition is normal and at the other side it signifies complicated conditions as we discussed above. So, thereby it is important to have basic knowledge of the colours, to take proper care of menstrual health.