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The uterus has three major functions: to prepare a bed for a fertilized ovum, to nourish the developing embryo during pregnancy, and to expel the fetus. Shaped like an upside-down pear, and tilted forwards, it lies within the pelvis and is held in place, along with its two extensions, the Fallopian tubes, by ligaments and folds of the peritoneum. The cervix forms the lower third, connected by a narrow isthmus to the main muscular body of the uterus. The non-pregnant uterus weighs 45–60 g and is 7–8 cm long but its weight increases more than ten-fold by the end of pregnancy.
Dysmenorrhea means painful menstruation and is classified as primary (from the onset of menstruation) or secondary (due to some physical cause and usually of later onset). The uterus is a muscle. Like all muscles, it contracts and relaxes. Most uterine contractions are never noticed, but strong ones are painful. During strong contractions, the uterus may contract too strongly or too frequently, causing the blood supply to the uterus to be temporarily cut off.