Is it normal to have irregular periods?
Often, yes — especially in the first couple of years after periods start, when the body is still settling into a pattern. Stress, big changes in weight, intense exercise, illness, and some contraceptives can also shift things. A cycle anywhere from 21 to 35 days is typical. Speak to a healthcare provider if your periods stop for three months or more and you are not pregnant, if they become very heavy or painful, or if the pattern changes suddenly after having been regular.
Is it normal to feel moody before my period?
Yes. Hormonal changes in the week or so before a period commonly cause irritability, tearfulness, tiredness, and anxiety, along with physical symptoms like bloating or sore breasts. Sleep, movement, and eating regularly all soften it. If mood changes are severe enough to damage your relationships, school, or work each month, that may be PMDD — it is recognised and treatable, so it is worth raising with a doctor.
Is it normal to have discharge every day?
Yes. Vaginal discharge is how the body keeps itself clean and healthy, and the amount and texture change across your cycle — clearer and stretchier around ovulation, thicker at other times. Normal discharge is clear or whitish and has only a mild smell. Get it checked if it becomes green, grey, or frothy, smells strongly fishy, or comes with itching, soreness, pain, or bleeding — those usually point to an easily treated infection.
Is it normal for periods to be painful?
Mild to moderate cramping is common and comes from the uterus contracting. Heat, gentle exercise, and over-the-counter pain relief such as ibuprofen usually help. Pain is not normal if it stops you attending school or work, does not respond to usual pain relief, gets worse over time, or comes with pain during sex or when going to the toilet — conditions like endometriosis can cause this and deserve proper assessment rather than being brushed off.
Is it normal to not have started my period yet?
Puberty happens on a wide timetable, and most people start their period between about 10 and 15. Genetics, body weight, and high levels of athletic training all influence timing. It is worth seeing a healthcare provider if you have not started by around age 15, if you have had no signs of puberty at all by 13, or if periods have not begun within three years of your breasts starting to develop.
Is it normal for my breasts to be different sizes?
Yes — some asymmetry is extremely common and usually becomes less noticeable over time, though it may never be identical. Breasts also change with your cycle, weight, and age, and tenderness before a period is normal. Do get a new lump, a change in skin texture or nipple shape, or discharge from the nipple checked by a healthcare provider.
Is it normal for my vulva to look the way it does?
Almost certainly. Labia vary hugely in size, shape, colour, and symmetry, and inner labia longer than outer ones are very common. Images online and in porn are unrepresentative and often edited. What is worth checking is a change: new lumps, sores, persistent itching, or pain.
Is it normal to feel pain during sex?
No — sex should not be painful. Common causes include not being aroused or lubricated enough, tense muscles, infections, thrush, endometriosis, or simply going too fast. Using lubricant, slowing down, and talking with your partner help many people. Persistent pain is a medical issue, not something to endure, and a doctor or sexual health clinic can find the cause.