Many women have had the same period schedule as their pals. You’ve probably heard that your menstrual cycle synchronisation was the result of the hours you spend together. But is there any truth in this concept that has been going on for centuries?
In collaboration with The Channel 46, Dr Suhasini Inamdar, Consultant – Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Motherhood Hospitals, unravels the truth about period syncs with your BFF.
What Is Period Syncing?
Period synchronisation refers to the situation where women who live together or spend a lot of time together begin their menstrual periods on the same day each month. The McClintock effect and menstrual synchrony are other names for period synchronicity. It is based on the theory that having physical contact with a person who menstruates causes your pheromones to interact, eventually leading your menstrual periods to coincide.
According to anecdotal evidence, menstruating individuals acknowledge that period synchronisation actually happens. However, there isn’t a strong argument in the medical literature to support this claim.
What Is The McClintock Effect?
The study claimed that women become hypnotised during this time because of the body heat, near proximity, and various other aspects because several physiological processes operate simultaneously, causing period synchronisation
Mothers have been teaching their children about period synchronising for millennia, and it has been talked about in women’s restrooms and dorms. But when a researcher by the name of Martha McClintock looked into the menstrual cycles of 135 college women living in the same dorm, the scientific community began to take the theory seriously.
The study monitored the start of the women’s monthly bleeding but did not evaluate other cycle parameters, such as when the women ovulated. According to McClintock, the women’s periods were indeed synchronising. As a result, period synchronisation came to be known as “the McClintock effect” soon after.
The researcher claimed that women become hypnotised during this time because of the body heat, near proximity, and various other aspects because several physiological processes operate simultaneously, causing period synchronisation.
Do Periods Really Sync?
The menstrual cycles’ subsequent divergence and convergence was purely a question of chance and that the cycles’ variability over time is to blame.
Numerous scholars and healthcare professionals have disproven this myth using a variety of pieces of evidence. It is not possible for the cycles to synchronise because every woman’s menstrual cycle differs in duration. Instead of their synchronisation, this notion can be explained by the overlapping of menstrual cycles.
The menstrual cycles’ subsequent divergence and convergence was purely a question of chance and that the cycles’ variability over time is to blame.
What Does Mathematics Say About This?
A woman with a three-week cycle will eventually experience periods that coincide with another woman who has a five-week cycle.
The chemical or hormonal explanation behind why your period might coincide with that of a roommate or close friend may not be supported by science, but there is a mathematical justification for it: it’s only a matter of time. A woman with a three-week cycle will eventually experience periods that coincide with another woman who has a five-week cycle.
Anecdotally, you’re more likely to recall the instances you had excruciating cramps at the same time as your roommate than the other situations. Because women’s menstrual cycles vary in length, you will overlap and diverge. Your cycles will probably happen a few times together if you live with somebody for at least a year.
Why Period Syncing Is Hard To Prove?
…each woman’s menstrual cycle is unique. Although most women bleed for five to seven days on an average, this is not always the case. Others don’t even have periods, while others have shorter ones.
Period syncing is really difficult to verify. The problem is that we might never be able to provide solid evidence to whether this phenomenon actually does occur. As was already mentioned, it is predicated on the idea that synchronising occurs as a result of interactions between women’s pheromones. For those who are unaware, pheromones are chemical signals that we emit and give off to other people. They frequently go hand in hand with emotions like attraction and sexual excitement, among others.
Additionally, each woman’s menstrual cycle is unique. Although most women bleed for five to seven days on an average, this is not always the case. Others don’t even have periods, while others have shorter ones. Because of this, period synchronisation is a personal matter.
5 Factors That Actually Influence Your Period
While science cannot demonstrate that factors like living with someone affect your cycle, there are a few variables that can alter when you get your period:
1. Contraceptive Tablets
The tablet modifies your body’s progesterone and oestrogen levels to regulate whether and when you get your period. It’s effectively a fake period because you can control when it starts. Keep in mind that other drugs may also impact your period.
2. Stress
Periods can occasionally be delayed or start early due to persistent concern or anxiety about personal or professional issues.
3. Exercise
If you don’t nourish your body adequately while engaging in vigorous exercise, your menstruation can stop.
4. Anorexia/Bulimia
High or low calorie intake restrictions that are really stringent can affect whether you even get your period.
5. Chronic Disease
Your period may become irregular if you have ongoing medical issues or take certain drugs.
Even though many women may experience an innate bond with roommates or close friends, the fact that your periods coincide is probably just by chance. Humans frequently employ a variety of strategies to develop stronger emotional bonds with individuals who are near to us. It’s crucial to remember that just because you and your roommate don’t have the same period doesn’t mean you aren’t close.
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