Oestrogen facts for kids
Oestrogen (also spelled estrogen) is a group of important female hormones. Hormones are like chemical messengers in your body. They travel through your blood and tell different parts of your body what to do. Oestrogen helps girls and women grow and develop.
The main types of oestrogen are oestrone (E1), oestradiol (E2), and oestriol (E3). Oestradiol is usually the most important one.
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What Does Oestrogen Do?
Oestrogen plays a big role in a girl's body, especially during different stages of life. It helps with growth and changes that happen as a girl becomes a young woman.
Oestrogen and Puberty
Puberty is the time when a child's body changes into an adult body. For girls, oestrogen is very important during this time. It helps with many changes, such as:
- The growth of breasts.
- The widening of hips.
- The start of the menstrual cycle.
- Overall growth spurts.
These changes prepare a girl's body for adulthood.
Oestrogen and the Menstrual Cycle
The menstrual cycle is a monthly process in a woman's body. Oestrogen helps control this cycle. It works with other hormones to prepare the uterus (womb) for a possible pregnancy each month. If pregnancy does not happen, the lining of the uterus is shed. This is called a period. Oestrogen levels go up and down during this cycle, helping to manage it.
Oestrogen and Menopause
Menopause is a natural stage in a woman's life, usually around age 45 to 55. It marks the end of her menstrual cycles. During menopause, the levels of oestrogen in a woman's body naturally go down. This change can cause different symptoms as the body adjusts to lower hormone levels.
Oestrogen Compared to Male Hormones
Just as oestrogen is a main female hormone, androgen is a group of male hormones. The most well-known androgen is testosterone. Both oestrogen and androgen are present in both males and females, but in different amounts. They help develop different characteristics in boys and girls.
