10 Information about menstruation that are nothing more than prejudice

Throughout life, a woman experiences about 450 menstrual cycles, losing approximately 60 ml of blood in each one. In addition, being “in those days” is not very cheap: on average, they spend approximately BRL 23,000 on female intimate hygiene items throughout their lives. People don’t always stop to think about this kind of statistics, nor about obvious data about their own body and health. Especially when it comes to menstruation.

In this post, Incrível.club debunks some of the most popular myths about the menstrual cycle. We hope this will help many women to break stereotypes and make their lives much simpler.

“In those days”, some women deny themselves the pleasure of a good bath. There are those who think that hot water increases bleeding, while others are afraid of contracting an infection. However, the truth is that, in menstruation, there is no bleeding from any wound. What happens is simply that the endometrium separates from the uterus. Water can only reach the beginning of the vaginal canal (as well as the other days of the cycle), and does not penetrate beyond the uterine cervix.

A warm bath during menstruation can even be good. Hot water improves the functioning of the vascular system, relaxes muscles and relieves menstrual cramps. Therefore, it is quite possible that you will feel much better after doing this type of water treatment. Obviously, the bathtub needs to be clean. If you still don’t feel safe, use a tampon or menstrual cup.

Many women think that the habit is unsanitary, but this is not true. Firstly, a tampon or menstrual cup will not leak or allow water to enter (here, traditional, external pads will not work). Second, swimming, as well as doing other physical exercises, relieves pain.

Getting a vaginal infection in the pool is also unlikely. According to some statistics, the most widespread problems through the pool are gastrointestinal diseases, conjunctivitis and skin. To avoid irritation on delicate skin, take a shower right after swimming and change your underwear to clean, dry ones.

Who wrote about the phenomenon for the first time was Martha McClintock, in an article published in 1971 in the magazine Nature🇧🇷 From her observation, friends, relatives or roommates end up menstruating at more or less the same time. According to her opinion, this occurs as a result of the exchange of specific pheromones produced by the female body.

More recent studies, however, have refuted the relationship between menstrual cycles and frequency of communication between two or more women, calling McClintock’s hypotheses into question. She did not take into account several factors that accompany the phenomenon, so that other experiences under the same conditions led to different results. To date, the synchronization of menstrual cycles is not something confirmed by the scientific community. Therefore, it is considered a myth.

Otherwise, the coverage of the strands will be stained and the hair will look sloppy. On Internet forums, this is associated with alleged fluctuations in hormone levels. Experts became interested in the subject and came to the following conclusion: even if during menstruation the hair is a little more unruly than usual, this does not affect the production of oiliness.

According to studies, unruly hair is the result of improper care or a genetic predisposition. Hairdressers are unanimous in stating that it is safe to dye your hair any day.

There is no unanimous opinion on the issue: the secret is in the quantity. Women who drink more and more often are more prone to irregular cycles, anovulation and amenorrhea. Excessive alcohol consumption negatively affects not only the reproductive system, but the body in general.

But if you want to have a glass of wine on a special occasion or a few drinks at a party during “those days”, don’t worry. Studies have revealed that moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages does not interrupt the cycle phases, nor does it have a negative effect on women’s health.

Some tattoo artists advise that it’s best to postpone a session until after your period, saying that during your period, tattooing “can go wrong.” There are beauticians who also do not recommend some procedures (for example, botox injections). But in reality, the quality of the tattoo, as well as the effect of the treatments, will depend on the professional. It makes no sense to postpone a visit to the beauty salon “in those days”, but remember: any inconvenience can become even more painful.

Yes, almost all women suffer from colic, but the discomfort manifests itself in different intensities. The problem affects 45% to 93% of women of reproductive age — notably the younger ones, as shown by a joint study involving researchers from the Italian universities of Siena and Florence and the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). According to the same study, between 3% and 33% of women suffer from severe pain, high fever, vomiting, dizziness and other symptoms that can make routine difficult for 1 to 3 days.

If the cramps prevent you from carrying out your day to day activities, you need to consult a gynecologist to verify the need for treatment. Generally, the treatment lasts for three menstrual cycles and the effect lasts between two and four months. After that, the pain returns, only less pronounced.

This is one of the most common myths about menstruation. In fact, in this period, fertility is at its lowest level: the highest is between 12 and 16 days before the start of the next cycle. However, we must not forget that, in some women, the cycle does not last 28 days, but 21, or it may even be irregular.

In addition, sperm retain their fertilizing capacity in the woman’s body for five to seven days, which increases the so-called fertile window. Unprotected intercourse in this case can coincide with the period of ovulation and cause pregnancy.

The myth has its origins in antiquity. Recent research does not find any connection between the phases of the moon and the onset of menstruation. This was the conclusion reached by a team of analysts who studied 7.5 million female cycles. The explanation is quite simple.

The lunar cycle lasts 29.5 days while the menstrual period, on average, can vary between 21 and 35 days. Not to mention that the length of the cycle can change a lot throughout a woman’s life. The lunar phases and the menstrual cycle can more or less coincide if the cycle length is 29-30 days, by simple coincidence.

Most women have wanted, at least once in their lives, to postpone the arrival of menstruation by a week or two. However, several only decide to follow this path in extreme cases, fearing that it could harm the body. But science proves that a “stop” in menstruation does not have dangerous consequences. This is what specialists from the American National Network for say (National Network🇧🇷 In certain cases, this can even be beneficial, for example when a woman has severe cramps. Obviously, the method should not be used constantly.

Do you know other myths about menstruation? Leave your comment! We will try to confirm if there is a background of truth behind them.