How Well Do You Know Your Menstrual Cycle?
(And why are we so embarrassed to talk about it?)
Menstruation is a normal and healthy part of life for most women and people who cycle. Approximately half of the female population—around 26% of the global population—are of reproductive age. Most women menstruate each month for about two to seven days. Yet, despite being a fundamental biological process, menstruation remains stigmatized worldwide. In Australia, for example, one in five boys and young men believe periods should be kept secret, reinforcing deep-rooted taboos around menstrual health.
This stigma has led to a significant knowledge gap. A recent study by Rescripted, which surveyed 1,000 people in the U.S., found that nearly half (48.9%) admitted they do not fully understand the menstrual cycle, and only 60.7% could correctly identify the number of phases in the cycle. (For reference, there are four phases: menstrual, follicular, ovulation, and luteal.)
In this blog, we explore how stigma affects knowledge transfer, why this lack of understanding persists, and how improving menstrual literacy can positively impact daily life. Understanding hormonal changes allows women to make informed decisions, enhancing their productivity, well-being, and overall quality of life.
The Stigma Around Menstruation
Despite its biological significance, menstruation remains a taboo subject, making open discussions difficult and fostering misinformation. Research by Wellbeing of Women (August 2023) highlights the ongoing dismissal and stigma surrounding periods:
Nearly 3 in 10 women and girls (29%) reported feeling too embarrassed to discuss their periods, while 19% feared being judged.
Over half (51%) felt their healthcare providers did not take their period-related concerns seriously, with 21% reporting this happened frequently.
More than half (56%) said their families dismissed their period concerns, and 50% experienced strained family relationships due to menstrual-related issues.
Almost half (47%) believed their workplace did not take their periods seriously, with 56% experiencing workplace challenges related to menstruation.
These statistics illustrate how stigma limits menstrual education and support, preventing many women from fully understanding their cycles. Let’s delve into what this means for knowledge and awareness.
Did You Know the Menstrual Cycle Has Four Phases?
For many, the menstrual cycle remains a mystery. A recent study found that:
Nearly half (48.9%) of respondents did not have a proper understanding of the menstrual cycle.
Less than two-thirds (60.7%) knew the cycle has four phases.
89.5% felt their healthcare providers did not address the full scope of their cycle.
Nearly half (46.2%) had missed work or activities due to their cycle.
This lack of knowledge impacts every aspect of life, from career progression to emotional well-being. Women who understand their cycles can harness hormonal shifts to optimize productivity and self-care.
The four phases of the menstrual cycle include:
Menstrual Phase: The shedding of the uterine lining, often associated with low energy.
Follicular Phase: Rising estrogen levels boost mood, energy, and cognitive function.
Ovulation: Peak fertility; heightened social skills and confidence.
Luteal Phase: Increased progesterone may lead to fatigue, irritability, and changes in focus.
However, many women are unaware of the existence, characteristics, and timing of these phases, or how these phases might impact energy, mood and cognition (1,2). This leaves many unaware of how to work with, rather than against, their cycles.
Hormones and Cognition
Emerging research highlights the biological link between hormone cycles and cognitive function, showing how fluctuations affect motivation, energy levels, communication abilities, and reaction times (3,4). Key reproductive hormones—estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone—have a profound influence on brain function:
Estrogen enhances memory and verbal skills by stimulating the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center (5).
Progesterone affects the nervous system and is crucial for cognitive processes like learning and emotional regulation (6).
Understanding these hormonal shifts allows women to plan tasks around their cognitive strengths. Dr. Allison Devine, an OBGYN and hormone specialist, explains:
“There is plenty of data to support the powerful effects that the two main hormones of menstruation, estrogen and progesterone, have on our neurochemistry. Unfortunately, historically most articles on this subject have focused on the negative effects of imbalances in these hormones rather than the potential benefits that can be harnessed when the effects of these hormones are better understood” (7).
By recognizing these patterns, women can schedule mentally demanding tasks for high-energy phases and prioritize self-care during lower-energy periods.
Hormone Health and Productivity: The Role of Femtech
The knowledge gap around menstrual cycles has real-world consequences. The Just Period Census (2023) surveyed 3,002 women and girls, finding that:
Over half (54%) had taken time off work due to their period, but only 12% did so regularly.
Three in five (59%) missed school or university due to their cycle.
Nearly nine in ten (85%) struggled to engage in hobbies or social activities during their period.
Fortunately, attitudes are shifting, and younger generations are increasingly open to discussing menstruation and its effects. This is where Femtech—technology supporting women's health—comes into play.
Apps like Flo, Clue, and Wild.AI help women track their cycles. Whilst products like Aura rings, are becoming even more accurate at tracking hormonal changes. Research shows that period-tracking apps have tangible benefits:
Users who regularly track their cycles are 18–25% less likely to report negative productivity impacts from their period.
Those who positively engage with tracking apps are 12–18% less likely to take days off work (8).
Femtech bridges the gap between awareness and action, providing tailored recommendations to help women align their work schedules, fitness routines, and social lives with their hormonal rhythms.
Empowering Women Through Knowledge and Tools
Education is key to breaking the stigma surrounding menstrual health. By understanding their cycles, women can make informed choices about their well-being, career, and relationships. Organizations can also play a role by offering menstrual health resources and fostering open conversations in the workplace.
New digital tools, such as Phase, are emerging to guide women through their cycles, offering personalized insights and helping them optimize their productivity. By shifting the conversation from secrecy to empowerment, we can create a world where menstruation is no longer seen as a barrier, but as a natural cycle to work with rather than against.
References
Ayoola,A.,Zandee,G.andAdams,Y.,2016.Women'sknowledgeofovulation, the menstrual cycle, and its associated reproductive changes. Birth, 43(2), pp.123-129. [online] Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12237
PureGym, 2024. Menstrual cycle: How to adapt exercise and nutrition. PureGym. [online] Available at: https://www.puregym.com/menstrual-cycle-exercise-and- nutrition
Ronca, F., Blodgett, J., Bruinvels, G., Lowery, M., Raviraj, M., Sandhar, G. et al. (2024) 'Attentional, anticipatory and spatial cognition fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle: potential implications for female sport', Neuropsychologia, 108909. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108909.
Pletzer, B., Harris, T.-A., Scheuringer, A. and Hidalgo-Lopez, E. (2019) 'The cycling brain: menstrual cycle related fluctuations in hippocampal and fronto- striatal activation and connectivity during cognitive tasks', Neuropsychopharmacology, 44(11), pp. 1867-1875. doi:10.1038/s41386-019- 0464-4.
Albert,K.M.andNewhouse,P.A.(2019)'Estrogen,stress,anddepression: cognitive and biological interactions', Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 15, pp. 399-423.
Gravelsins, L., Zhao, S. and Einstein, G. (2023) 'Hormonal contraception and cognition: considering the influence of endogenous ovarian hormones and genes for clinical translation', Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 70, 101067. doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101067.
Mysoor, A. (2018) 'How women can use monthly periods as a productivity tool', Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandramysoor/2018/05/10/how-women-can-use- monthly-periods-as-a-productivity-tool/.
Ponzo, S., Wickham, A., Bamford, R. et al. (2022) 'Menstrual cycle-associated symptoms and workplace productivity in US employees: a cross-sectional survey of users of the Flo mobile phone app', Digital Health, 8. doi:10.1177/20552076221145852.
Photo by Annika Gordon on Unsplash
