Study Finds That Menstrual Synchrony Not A Real Thing
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A recent study found that it’s a myth that women who live and/or work together end up with periods that sync with one another.
In 1971, the idea of menstrual synchrony was developed by Harvard scientist Martha McClintock, after she looked at women in dormitories and the effect it had on their menstrual cycles.
Since that time, scientists have been unable to duplicate McClintock’s pioneering research. And, this latest research eliminates any perception women have had about their periods matching one another. Based on research from the University of Oxford and the Clue, a period-tracking app, menstrual synching is just a myth surrounding the reproductive system.
Scientists looked at over 1,500 women and reduced them down to 360 pairs. They followed the pairs for three menstrual cycle months and noted that 273 of them had major disparities in their cycle start dates than when scientists first started the study.
According to Marija Vlajic, a data scientist for Clue, it doesn’t mean the pairs fall out of sync; it just means the pair never synched up. The findings, it appears, shows that period synching isn’t a real thing despite the fact that most women believe otherwise.
A study conducted in 1999 is proof this – 80% of women believed menstrual synchrony; another 70% said they liked the feeling that the cycle was in sync with the women they were close to.
In 2015, the Huffington Post said there’s been no real evidence surrounding the phenomenon, but many women have anecdotal evidence that speaks to the contrary of the research.
Vlajic said it’s a matter of the brain trying to find patterns, which is why women tend to find that their periods happen at the same time. Basically, women want to feel like they have some solidarity in their menstrual cycle.
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