Menstruation or periods is a monthly phenomenon that takes place in all women after they reach puberty. If you have a daughter who is just attaining puberty, you will be all prepared to face this situation as a mother. However, a lot of mothers are doubtful as to whether boys also have periods and do they also bleed like girls? There is a lot of confusion about this topic and makes one really wonder about this issue. As a mom of a growing boy you need to have a clear idea about whether boys have menstruation and what causes bleeding in boys. Read on to know about this in detail.
- Do Boys Get Periods?
- 5 Conditions When Boys Can Bleed
Do Boys Get Periods?
The answer is a big NO. Boys do not get periods, even after reaching puberty like girls. It is biologically impossible for boys to get periods. This is due to the fact that a uterus is not present in boys and hence they cannot ovulate. But the male sex hormone testosterone causes mood swings and clumsiness in boys when they reach puberty as they undergo all kinds of physical and emotional changes during this phase. Some of the changes include an alteration in voice and hair growth in their private parts and even on the face. But if you notice that your boy is bleeding, you need to be aware that this is not a normal phenomenon and is not related to mensuration. This makes it imperative that you speak to your doctor immediately as it can indicate an underlying medical issue. You need to be aware that there are certain conditions that can cause bleeding in boys. Discussed below are some of these conditions.
5 Conditions When Boys Can Bleed
The five main conditions when boys can bleed as if they are having a period includes:
1. Infection in the kidneys:
Any kind of infection in the kidneys or even kidney stones can trigger bleeding from the genitals in boys. Bleeding while urinating due to a kidney infection is normally triggered through the presence of a bacteria. The bacteria can interfere with the kidney’s function of purification of blood, thus causing blood to trickle out from the blood stream into the ureter that can eventually reach the urinary bladder
2. Presence of tumor in prostrate, kidney or urinary bladder:
Another trigger that can cause bleeding is the presence of tumor in the prostate gland, bladder or kidney in boys. Bleeding from the private part and severe pain while urinating are the most common symptoms of the presence of a tumor in either in the prostrate glad or in the kidney or urinary bladder. A cancerous tumor can hamper the functioning of these organs that can lead to presence of blood while urinating in boys
3. Infection in the urinary tract:
Infections in the urinary tract can be triggered due to a variety of causes similar to an infection in the kidneys. Mostly a urinary tract infection is triggered when there is presence of a bacteria similar to Staphylococcus saprophyticus or E coli in the urinary tract. Normally boys are more prone to this issue till they turn one year old. However girls are more susceptible to urinary tract infection as they grow. It is imperative that you maintain general hygiene for your child and also hydrate your child sufficiently to avert these kinds of urinary tract infections that can also trigger bleeding from the genitals. This makes it one of the most common reasons for bleeding while urinating in boys
4. Schistosomiasis:
This is actually one of the most common reasons that can cause genital bleeding in boys. This condition is normally triggered by a parasite called schistososma haematobium. One of the main sign of this condition is presence of blood in the stools and urine. This is such a common phenomenon that ancient Egyptians considered this as a form of menstruation in boys of adolescent age. This condition usually spreads from fresh water that has schistosomes present in it. These parasitic flatworms penetrate through a hole and enter the body through this hole. Apart from signs like bleeding through the genitals, other symptoms of this disease include eruptions of blisters, swelling in the abdomen and a tummy ache that is constant
5. Certain medications:
There are certain medications that can cause bleeding through the genitals as a side effect of having that drug. Medications that help to thin your blood or even medicines like aspirin, penicillin or drugs that contain traces of sulfa can trigger blood to slowly flow from your blood vessels into the kidneys and they come out through the genitals. So if you child is bleeding from the genitals remember to just inform your doctor about what medications, your boy is already having so that your doctor can infer whether that mediation is causing period like bleeding in your boy
These above mentioned are some causes of the most common triggers that can cause bleeding in boys. Suppose your boy complains of any kind of bleeding from his private parts, make sure that you take him to your doctor immediately for further investigation in order to know the exact cause of bleeding and the right course of treatment. Boys and periods are an impossible phenomenon. It is not biologically possible for boys to have periods so if your boy complains about bleeding from his genitals, then this is something you should be concerned about as a mother.
